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BV  1590  .B45      ~  ^ 
Betts,  Anna  Freelove. 
The  mother-teacher  of 
rel igion 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  AND  HER  PUPILS 


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W)t  atfjingtion   B^eligiouS  Cbucation  ^ext^ 
Babib  #.  Bobjnep,  (J^eneral  €bitor 

GEORGE  HERBERT  BETTS,  Associate  Editor 


4 


[  OF  P/?/i 
JAN  24  IC 


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The  Mother -Teacher 
of  Religion 


BY  ./ 

ANNA  FREELOVE  BETTS 


•ir^ 


Tl>K;t81li6tM)B>mi 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 


NEW  YORK 


CINCINNATI 


Copyright,    1922,  by 
ANNA  FREELOVE  BETTS 

All  Rights  Reserved 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


First  Edition  Printed  January,  1922 

Second  Printing,  October,  1922 

Third  Printing,  October,  1924 

Fourth  Printing,  April,  1926 

Fifth  Printing,  May,  1928 


To 

The  Many  Mothers 
who    are   trying    to    make 
God    real    in    the    hearts 
and  lives  of  their  children' 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Editor's  Introduction 1 1 

Mother's  Creed  and  Prayer 13 

I.  Beginnings 15 

Laying  the  foundations — The  unbreakable  unity — First  im- 
pressions; an  interpretation. 

II.  The  Awakening  Mind 18 

The  mind  at  birth — Getting  under  way — The  law  of  spiritual 
growth. 

III.  Physical  Foundations 24 

The  body  and  the  soul — Sleep  and  rest — Food,  growth,  and 
character — The  breath  of  life — Clothing  and  comfort — Exer- 
cises for  the  baby. 

IV.  First  Impressions 36 

The  mother's  preparation — Unconscious  absorption  of  reli- 
gious impressions — Forming  religious  habits — The  quiet  hour. 

V.  Teaching  About  God 42 

Making  God  real  to  the  child — The  natural  approach  of  the 
child  to  God — A  God  who  is  near  at  hand — The  child's  ques- 
tions about  God — Saving  from  wrong  concepts  of  God. 

VI.  Teaching  the  Child  to  Pray 51 

Learning  to  pray — Creating  the  mood  for  prayer — What  the 
child  shall  pray  about — Praying  or  "saying  prayers" — Teach- 
ing the  child  to  help  answer  his  own  prayers — Forms  of  prayers 
to  be  used — Growth  in  prayer. 

VII.  Prayers  Which  Children  Pray 63 

The  use  of  formal  prayers — Prayers  for  evening  use — Morn- 
ing prayers— Grace  at  meals — Prayers  that  are  sung. 

VIII.  The  Atmosphere  of  the  Home 71 

Like  home  like  child — Keeping  the  bond  unbroken — Worship 
in  the  home — Bringing  the  child  into  the  worship  program — 
The  father's  mfluence — Good  fellowship  and  courtesy — Owner- 
ship, money-,  spending. 


6  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IX.  The  Play-Mother 8 1 

The  comradeship  of  play — The  child  must  play — Play  to  be 
governed  by  the  needs  of  the  child — Playthings  and  their  use — 
Sympathy  toward  the  child's  activity — Father  joins  the  game 
— The  play  spirit  in  government  of  children — For  the  mother 
who  has  not  learned  to  play. 

X.  Mother-  and  Father-Plays 93 

Old  folk  plays — Father  and  baby  plays — Shadow  pictures — 
Playthings — Indoor  plays  and  games — Bean  bag  games. 

XL  Teaching  Through  Pictures  and  Stories 114 

The  language  of  pictures — Picture  story-telling — Nursery 
rimes  illustrated^ — Children's  love  of  old  folk- tales — Use  of 
the  picture-story  in  teaching  religion — How  to  tell  stories  to 
children — The  test  of  a  story — Lessons  from  stories,  rimes,  and 
pictures — ^Fairy  stories  and  stories  of  adventure. 

XII.  Stories  and  Pictures  for  the  Young  Child 129 

The  message  of  spring — Finding  God  through  nature — Au- 
tumn pictures  and  stories — The  home  relationships. 

XIII.  Picture  Stories  About  Jesus 182 

The  Christmas  story — Jesus  in  his  home — The  Mother  and 
Child — Jesus  the  boy — Jesus  the  good  shepherd. 

XIV.  Stories  from  the  Old  and  New  Testament 214 

The  baby  Moses — David  the  shepherd  boy — The  ark  upon 
the  waters — The  lost  lamb — The  three  Wise  Men — Stories 
about  Joseph. 

XV.  Religion  Through  Songs 228 

Worship  through  music — The  teaching  power  of  music — 
Suiting  music  to  childhood. 

XVI.  Sunday  in  the  Home 234 

The  true  spirit  of  the  Sabbath — Making  Sunday  different — 
Sunday  as  God's  day — The  Sunday  quiet  hour — Sunday  recrea- 
tions— Sunday  handwork — Home  games  suitable  for  Sunday — 
The  home  Sunday  recognizes  the  church. 

XVII.  Foundations  of  Character 247 

The  building  of  right  habits — First  lessons  in  obedience — 
Avoiding  unnecessary  conflict — When  pvmishment  is  required. 


CONTENTS  7 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVIII.  Teaching  the  Fundamental  Virtues 258 

Training  to  cure  selfishness — Cultivating  the  spirit  of  help- 
fulness— Learning  to  tell  the  truth — The  fictions  of  imagination 
not  lies— How  fact  and  fiction  become  confused — "Let's  pre- 
tend"— The  actual  lie — Tantrums  and  temper — Causes  and 
cures  for  temper. 

XIX.  Children's  Problems 270 

The  problem  of  childhood  fears — The  treatment  of  fear — 
How  to  drive  away  fear — Teaching  about  God  to  allay  fear — 
Shall  we  have  a  Santa  Claus? — Answering  the  child's  ques- 
tions about  life's  origin — Information  for  the  older  child. 

XX.  Keeping  Close  to  Our  Children 280 

Putting  ourself  in  the  child's  place — The  heart  of  a  child — 
Respecting  the  child's  personality — Recompense. 

Bibliography  of  Children's  Books 286 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The  Mother-Teacher  and  Her  Pupils Frontispiece 

After  Nine  Months  in  Life's  School 20 

A  State  Prize  Baby 30 

Physical  Exercises  for  the  Baby  32-35 

Infant  Samuel  (Reynolds)    54 

Children  at  Prayer 67 

Playing  Ball  with   Daddy 83 

A  Home-made  Slide  Is  a   Good  Investment 90 

Riding  on  Father's  Foot 97 

Farm  Animals  and  Fowls 98,  100 

Shadow  Pictures 101-103 

The    Picture    and    Story    Book    Yields    Untold    Happiness   to 

Childhood 116 

Spring  (Knous) 128 

Robin  Redbreast   (Munier) 135 

Two  Mothers  and  Their  Families  (Gardner) 138 

"You're  No  Chicken"  (Paton)  140 

The  Shepherd  and  His  Sheep  (Mauve) 142 

A  Contented  Flock  (Bonheur) 143 

Shearing  the  Sheep 145 

An  Interesting  Family  (Carter) 147 

Bringing  Home  the  New  Born  Calf  (Millet) 149 

A  Visit  to  the  Barn 150 

Milking  Time  (Dupre) 151 

Can't  You  Talk?  (Holmes) 152 

Family  Cares  (Barnes) 154 

Wide-Awake  (Adams) 155 

Young  Freehold  (Carter) 161 

"Sparrows"  (Laux) , 163 

9 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"Grandmother" 165 

The  Snowman 170 

Jolly  Santa  Claus 172 

The  First  Step  (Millet) 175 

The  Mother  and  Her  Child  (Max) 176 

Cuddlin'  Time 179 

Holy  Night  (Correggio) 183 

Holy  Night  (Correggio) 186 

The  Apparition  to  the  Shepherds  (Plockhorst)  189 

Adoration  of  the  Shepherds  (MuriUo)  191 

Repose  in  Egypt  (S.  Benz) 193' 

The  Holy  Family  (Ittenbach)  195 

Sistine  Madonna  (Raphael) 196 

Madonna  of  the  Chair  (Raphael) 197 

Madonna  (Bodenhausen)    198 

Divine  Shepherd  (Murillo) 199 

The  Childhood  of  Christ  (Hofmann) 201 

Christ  and  the  Doctors  (Hofmann) 202 

Madonna  and  Child  (Janssen) 205 

Jesus  and  Child   (Balheim) 207 

Christ  Blessing  Little  Children  (Plockhorst) 209 

The  Good  Shepherd  (Plockhorst) 211 


10 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

No  child  can  have  a  normal  spiritual  development  whose 
home  is  not  the  most  important  factor  in  his  early  religious 
training.  Many  parents  sense  this  fact  but  do  not  know  just 
how  to  proceed  with  their  children.  They  realize  that  while 
we  may  safely  give  the  teaching  of  reading  and  arithmetic 
over  altogether  to  an  outside  agency,  this  is  not  true  of  re- 
ligion. The  home  can  not  delegate  its  responsibility  for  the  child's 
religious  nurture  and  guidance. 

This  is  impossible  because  of  the  very  nature  of  religion. 
For  religion  is  life  at  its  truest  and  best.  ReHgious  training 
is,  therefore,  training  in  a  way  of  living,  and  not  merely  a  set 
of  facts  to  be  learned  or  formulas  to  be  repeated.  Religious 
impressions  and  concepts  must  be  built  daily  into  the  system 
of  habits  and  conduct  which  is  constantly  being  developed. 
Religious  ideas  should  grow  up  along  with  the  child's  other 
ideas  and  so  become  an  inseparable  part  of  his  structure  of 
thought.  Religious  interests  and  emotions  should  develop  as 
a  part  of  the  child's  whole  range  of  feeUngs  and  motives. 

If  this  is  to  take  place,  it  is  evident  that  the  home  must  be 
the  laboratory  in  which  the  young  child's  religious  develop- 
ment is  worked  out.  Though  the  child  will,  of  course,  be  taken 
to  the  church  school  at  the  earHest  moment  he  is  capable  of  re- 
ceiving benefit  from  it,  the  church  school  can  at  best  be  but  a 
supplement  to  the  home  in  the  spiritual  nurture  of  young  children. 

Is  the  home  accepting  its  rightful  share  of  responsibihty  for 
the  religious  training  of  its  children?  There  seems  to  be  cause 
for  serious  concern  over  this  question.  The  family  altar  has 
largely  dropped  out;  the  Bible  is  decreasingly  read  in  the  home; 
but  Httle  instruction  in  religion  is  given  the  child;  the  home 
is  threatening  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  the  church  school  or  of 
indifference  to  religion. 

Not   that   this   criticism  is   to  be   applied   indiscriminately. 


12  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

Many  homes,  realizing  the  danger  that  threatens,  seek  ear- 
nestly to  do  their  full  duty  toward  their  children.  Conscious 
of  the  new  interest  in  religious  education  and  fully  believing 
that  the  child  can  be  so  reared  that  he  will  never  know  con- 
scious estrangement  from  God,  they  are  asking  how  they  may 
do  their  part.  Parents  are  asking  for  religious  materials  suit- 
able for  use  with  their  children  from  the  earHest  years.  They 
are  demanding  the  methods  to  be  used  in  making  these  mate- 
rials effective,  and  inquiring  concerning  the  laws  which  govern 
the  spiritual  growth  of  childhood. 

The  present  volume  is  an  attempt  to  help  parents  on  these 
problems.  It  addresses  the  mother  primarily,  since  inevitably 
she  must  have  most  to  do  with  the  young  child;  yet  the  father 
is  not  left  out.  It  deals  chiefly  with  the  pre-school  age,  for 
this  is  the  most  important  time  for  the  grounding  of  first  re- 
ligious impressions,  and  it  is  also  the  time  when  the  church 
and  the  church  school  can  contribute  but  Httle  to  the  child. 

In  deciding  what  to  put  into  the  volume  the  author  has  made 
a  skillful  balance  between  theory  and  practice.  Enough  of  the 
religious  psychology  of  childhood  is  set  forth  to  make  an  in- 
telligent approach  to  the  concrete  materials  presented.  This 
is  accomplished  in  untechnical  terms  and  with  a  wealth  of 
illustration  such  as  gives  the  principles  immediate  appHcation. 
A  considerable  number  of  prayers,  stories,  pictures,  songs, 
etc.,  are  supplied  so  that  the  mother  may  have  an  abundance 
of  usable  lessons  directly  available.  The  whole  is  woven  to- 
gether in  such  a  way  that  the  mother  herself  will  have  the 
advantage  of  a  course  in  religious  pedagogy  while  guiding 
and  stimulating  the  spiritual  development  of  her  child. 

The  editor  sends  this  book  forth  with  much  satisfaction,  behev- 
ing  that  it  will  meet  a  very  definite  need  in  many  homes,  and 
confident  that  children  who  during  their  early  years  are  trained 
in  accordance  with  its  principles  and  materials  will  have  laid 
firm  the  foundation  for  a  worthy  structure  of  Christian  character. 


THE  MOTHER'S  CREED  AND  PRAYER 

/  believe  being  a  mother  the  holiest  privilege  given  a  human 
being.  Grant,  heavenly  Father,  that  I  may  in  motherhood 
meet  the  great  opportunity  of  training  my  child  to  be  a  child 
of  thine. 

I  believe  that  mother-love  is  sent  of  God.  Help  me  to  under- 
stand its  full  signilicance — to  know  that  love  means  more 
than  the  ardent  outpouring  of  lavish  affection.  Grant  that 
with  my  love  there  may  be  the  seeing  eye,  the  hearing  ear, 
the  understanding  heart,  so  that  I  may  better  understand 
the  needs  of  my  child  and  lead  him  in  the  natural  unfolding 
of  the  life  thou  hast  given  him. 

/  believe  in  the  gospel  of  good  health.  Help  me  to  minister 
faithfully  to  the  physical  welfare  of  my  child.  Help  me  to 
realize  that  religion  and  morality  are  closely  related  to  good 
health  and  sound  physical  vigor. 

/  believe  that  nothing  is  trivial  or  of  little  importance  that  con- 
cerns my  child.  Grant  that  I  may  have  that  sympathetic 
understanding  of  child  nature  that  makes  me  a  child  with 
my  child,  laughing  with  his  joys,  sorrowing  in  his  sorrows, 
sympathetic  with  his  faults,  helping  him  through  my  greater 
experience,  to  be  fine  and  true  and  noble  in  the  little  things 
that  count  so  much  in  the  making  of  character.  Help  me 
to  be  all  that  I  desire  him  to  become.  Help  me  through  the 
days  of  his  early  childhood  to  be  always  patient  and  full  of 
cheer.  And  if  the  way  now  and  then  seems  one  of  drudgery 
or  the  demand  for  strength  to  meet  the  task  too  great,  grant 
me  the  larger  vision  that  I  may  see  my  child  in  man's  estate, 
the  kindly  deeds  of  a  noble  life  given  in  service;  or,  perchance, 
that  I  may  hear  men  say  of  him,  "Here  is  a  man  in  all  that 
true  manhood  means."  Then  shall  I  feel  repaid  a  thousand 
fold  and  thank  thee,  my  Father,  that  thou  hast  bestowed  upon 
me  the  high  privilege  of  being  a  mother. 

13 


CHAPTER  I 
BEGINNINGS 

When  shall  I  begin  to  teach  my  child  religion?  This  is  a 
question  earnestly  asked  by  many  mothers  who  are  concerned 
over  the  spiritual  welfare  of  their  children.  The  answer  is, 
As  soon  as  he  is  born. 

At  first  thought  this  may  seem  strange.  Such  a  starting 
point  may  seem  premature,  for  is  it  not  commonly  understood 
that  before  a  child  can  be  taught  religion  he  must  be  capable 
of  understanding  about  God  and  our  relations  to  him?  And 
that  the  child  cannot  begin  to  be  religious  until  he  is  old  enough 
to  "say  his  prayers"? 

Perhaps  it  would  be  more  accurate  to  say  that  as  soon  as 
the  child  is  born  we  may  begin  to  lay  the  foundations  for  a  re- 
ligious character  and  life.  For,  in  its  broadest  and  best  meaning, 
rehgion  is  right  living.  Jesus  came  that  we  might  have  abundant 
hfe.  And  all  factors  that  build  for  a  full,  rich  life  lived  at  its 
best  have  their  part  in  spiritual  development  and  training. 
Many  of  these  influences  begin  the  moment  the  babe  has  set 
his  feet  on  the  "shores  of  time." 

Laying  the  Foundations 

Not  until  about  three  years  of  age  is  the  child  able  to  grasp 
much  of  the  thought  about  God.  Yet  before  this  time  he  may 
have  been  given  many  impressions  which,  while  they  are  not 
definitely  remembered  in  later  years,  nevertheless  supply  the 
prepared  soil  in  which  seeds  of  more  direct  instruction  find 
favorable  conditions  for  growth. 

From  the  very  first,  right  habits  of  sleeping,  feeding,  and  re- 
sponding to  care  and  attention  can  be  formed;  this  will  in  the 

15 


i6  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

end  save  much  fretting,  ill-nature,  and  rebellion,  all  of  which 
have  their  bearing  on  mood  and  disposition  and,  through  these, 
on  the  spiritual  nature.  The  foundations  of  good  health  and 
freedom  from  pain  and  discomfort  can  in  no  small  degree  be 
insured;  and  good  digestion,  healthy  nerves,  and  normal  bodily 
functioning  play  no  small  part  in  determining  the  quality  of 
the  moral  and  religious  life.  Through  wise  and  loving  care 
and  through  providing  a  congenial  atmosphere  in  the  home, 
happiness,  cheerfulness,  and  good  nature  may  be  promoted 
— factors  which  lie  at  the  very  foundation  of  all  the  finer  spiritual 
qualities.  Through  loving  and  sympathetic  companionship 
the  bonds  of  affection  and  understanding  can  be  established 
between  parents  and  child  which  will  render  example  and 
instruction  doubly  effective  when  the  child  has  become  old 
enough  to  respond  to  them. 

In  all  these  and  many  other  ways,  then,  the  mother  can 
from  the  earliest  days  of  her  child's  life  be  making  sure  that 
the  heginnings  are  right.  These  factors,  rightly  considered, 
are  as  much  a  part  of  the  child's  religious  training  as  the  more 
direct  teaching  he  will  later  receive.  To  neglect  these  essentials 
may  leave  a  fatal  weakness  in  the  foundations  upon  which  the 
higher  spiritual  structure  rests. 

The  Unbreakable  Unity 

Let  the  mother  therefore  realize  that  life,  her  child's  life, 
is  a  great  unity.  There  is  no  part  of  it  that  does  not  affect 
all  other  parts.  There  is  no  time  in  the  life  that  does  not  in 
some  measure  determine  all  that  part  of  the  life  which  comes 
after.  There  is  no  experience — no  train  of  thought,  no  affec- 
tion, no  ideal,  no  decision,  no  loyalty  that  does  not  owe  much 
to  what  has  preceded  it  in  experience. 

This  point  of  view  offers  the  mother  cause  both  for  rejoicing 
and  for  a  hesitant  approaching  of  her  task.  On  the  one  hand 
she  realizes  that  she  need  not  wait  for  the  years  to  pass  and 


BEGINNINGS  17 

bring  her  babe  the  power  to  understand  great  thoughts  and 
grasp  deep  meanings  before  she  can  l)cgin  to  form  his  character 
and  shape  his  destiny.  On  the  other  hand  she  recognizes  that 
there  is  no  time  to  waste,  that  foundations  are  being  laid,  habits 
set  up,  and  the  background  established  upon  which  all  later 
building  of  character  and  destiny  must  rest.  With  or  without 
her  help  this  is  taking  place. 

With  the  love  of  motherhood  prompting  her  and  with  the 
rehgious  motive  actuating  her,  every  true  mother  will  there- 
fore seek  to  know  her  cliild,  and  from  the  first  so  nurture  and 
guide  him  that  this  bit  of  divine  life  may  never  know  the  tragedy 
of  separation  from  its  Author. 

First  Impressions:  An  Interpretation 

"Alpha — Night^ — Silence — a  struggle  for  the  light,  and  he 
did  not  know  what  light  was.  An  effort  to  cry,  and  he  did 
not  know  that  he  had  a  voice.  He  opened  his  eyes  and  'there 
was  light.'  He  opened  his  lips  and  hailed  the  world  with  a  cry 
for  help.  He  did  not  know  the  language  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  planet  upon  which  Providence  had  cast  him.  So  he 
saluted  them  in  the  one  universal  speech  of  God's  creatures, 
a  cry.  Everybody — every  one  of  God's  children  understands 
that.  A  tiny  craft  in  sight  of  new  shores — he  could  not  tell 
from  what  port  he  was  cleared;  he  did  not  know  where  he  was. 
He  had  no  reckoning,  no  chart,  no  pilot.  No  one  knew  whence 
he  came.  Some  one  said  he  came  from  heaven.  And  the  baby 
himself  knew  as  little  about  it  as  the  learned  people  gathered 
to  welcome  him.  There  was  a  man's  voice,  the  Doctor's,  strong 
and  reassuring.  There  was  a  woman's  voice,  soothing  and 
comforting,  the  voice  of  the  nurse.  And  one  was  a  mother's 
voice.  There  is  none  other  like  it.  It  was  the  first  music  he 
had  ever  heard  in  this  world  and  the  sv/eetest."^ 


1  Robert  J.  Burdette  in  Chimes  From  a  Jester's  Bells.    The  Bobbs-Merrill 
Company,  Indianapolis. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  AWAKENING  MIND 

The  mind  of  a  child!  Who  may  know  what  it  contains? 
As  we  look  down  upon  the  small  mass  of  flesh  and  soul  we  call 
a  babe,  who  can  understand  the  mental  state  of  this  new  being 
who  has  no  memories,  no  plans,  no  ambitions;  who  has  neither 
ideas  nor  connected  thoughts;  who  understands  no  language, 
nor  recognizes  any  object  upon  which  the  eye  may  rest? 

The  Mind  at  Birth 

Yet  here  this  child  is,  and  he  possesses  some  sort  of  con- 
sciousness. He  is  aware,  even  if  but  dimly,  of  sights  and  sounds 
and  contacts  and  tastes  and  temperatures.  These  cannot  mean 
to  him  what  they  do  to  us,  but  he  in  his  own  way  responds  to 
them.  Speech  is  to  him  not  made  up  of  words  and  sentences, 
but  of  a  buzzing,  rumbling,  hissing  continuity  of  meaningless 
sound.  The  immediate  environment  does  not  consist  of  people 
and  chairs  and  cribs  and  lamps  and  tables  and  what-not,  but 
of  a  confused  mixture  of  impressions  with  no  object  or  person 
separated  from  the  puzzling  complex.  The  world  to  the  new- 
born child  ''is  a  big,  blooming,  buzzing  confusion,"  says  William 
James. 

From  the  first,  the  babe  is  sensitive  to  hunger,  to  pain,  and 
to  other  forms  of  discomfort.  He  may  not  know  just  what  is 
troubling  him  when  his  stomach  becomes  empty,  but  he  realizes 
that  something  is  the  matter  and  acts  accordingly.  He  may 
not  know  what  is  causing  the  pain  nor  even  from  what  part 
of  the  body  the  pain  comes  when  a  pin  is  sticking,  but  he  is 
aware  that  something  is  wrong  with  his  world  and  voices  a  pro- 
test.    Where  knowledge   and   intelligence   are   not  yet  ready 

i8 


THE  AWAKENING  MIND  19 

to  guide  instinct  takes  hold  and  the  child  does  what  his  race 
has  grown  accustomed  to  do  in  similar  circumstances  through 
a  million  generations.  At  the  beginning  the  child  is  an  au- 
tomaton. He  has  neither  thought,  conscious  desire,  nor  pur- 
posed will.  He  is  nevertheless  a  Hving  automaton,  and  will 
soon  pass  from  the  automatic  stage. 

Bodily  movements  are  not  at  first  directed  by  conscious 
purpose,  for  one  can  manifestly  not  purpose  to  perform  an  act 
which  one  has  never  learned  to  perform — one  must  have  a  copy 
for  his  act.  Hence  the  first  movements  of  the  child  are  random 
movements,  the  result  of  the  sheer  impulse  to  move,  wriggle, 
kick,  thrust,  turn  the  head,  rather  than  to  be  quite  still  arid 
immobile. 

These  early  movements  are  not  only  random  and  impulsive, 
but  they  are  for  the  most  part  unrelated  to  each  other,  they 
are  uncoordinated.  So  we  observe  that  the  two  hands  do  not 
act  in  unison  as  successfully  as  they  later  come  to  do.  The 
legs  do  not  seem  always  to  agree  as  to  direction  or  time  of 
action.  The  eyes,  even,  have  not  yet  developed  perfect  team 
work  and  may  look  in  different  directions  instead  of  acting 
together. 

Getting  Under  Way 

"A  very  imperfect  machine,  this  new-born  babe,"  an  unin- 
formed observer  might  say.  Yet  a  most  marvelous  machine 
— and  much  more  than  a  machine.  For  this  small  life  has 
wrapped  up  in  it  in  potential  form  all  that  the  life  can  ever 
become.  It  is  hke  the  acorn  with  the  perfect  oak  tree  at  its 
heart.  Nurture,  training,  education  do  not  add  new  powers; 
they  only  make  actual  through  growth  and  development  what 
was  already  there  through  the  gift  of  nature. 

So,  a  little  later  we  find  this  imperfect  mind  has  changed. 
Memory  begins,  and  the  mother  has  the  joy  that  comes  from 
seeing  that  her  child  remembers  her  face  and  recognizes  her. 


20 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Sensation  has  become  more  perfect,  and  food  that  is  not  of 
a  pleasing  temperature  or  taste  is  refused.  Objects  are  per- 
ceived, and  the  child  will  follow  with  his  eyes  and  head  the 


AFTER  NliNE  MOlNTHS  IN  'LIFE'S  SCHOOL 


movement  of  a  thing  that  attracts  his  attention.  Familiar 
articles  come  to  be  associated  with  their  uses,  and  a  sight  of 
the  feeding  bottle  brings  a  demand  for  food;  a  glimpse  of  wraps 


THE  AWAKENING  MIND  21 

and  the  gocart  creates  the  expectation  of  a  trip  out;  the  rattle 
is  shaken,  the  ball  thrown  and  promising  objects  put  into  the 
mouth. 

While  all  this  is  going  on  a  similar  development  is  taking 
place  in  the  affections  and  emotions.  There  comes  a  day  when 
the  child  smiles  when  pleased.  Unmistakable  expressions  of 
anger  occur  when  things  do  not  go  right.  Cooing,  crowing, 
and  gurgling  announce  that  all  is  right  with  the  world.  NestHng, 
reaching,  and  clasping  tell  of  the  beginnings  of  love  for  the  mother. 

As  the  months  pass  understanding  broadens  and  the  power 
to  grasp  the  meaning  of  speech  and  of  actions  grows.  The 
child  knows  from  word  or  tone  when  he  is  being  reproved  and 
when  he  is  being  praised.  He  is  receiving  impressions  of  con- 
duct and  learning  to  respond  to  control.  He  tears  a  book  and 
has  his  hands  spatted  for  it;  memory  and  association  come  to 
his  aid  on  the  next  occasion  and  he  foregoes  the  pleasure  of 
hearing  the  r-r-r-p  of  the  tearing  sheet;  he  is  developing  self- 
restraint  and  control. 

Gradually  out  of  countless  impressions  of  approval  and  dis- 
approval, out  of  rewards  and  punishments,  out  of  lessons  learned 
by  pain  of  consequences  and  by  restraints  or  promptings  of 
mother  and  father  the  sense  of  right  and  wrong  develops.  Prob- 
ably for  every  child  at  one  time  in  his  existence  right  is  what 
he  is  allowed  to  do,  and  wrong  is  what  he  is  restrained  from 
doing. 

So,  Httle  by  little,  Kne  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept, 
the  child  learns  his  world  and  how  to  adjust  himself  to  it.  Par- 
allel with  this  development  the  physical  and  mental  powers 
are  enlarging.  Sensation  reaches  its  capacity,  memory  and 
imagination  increase,  reason  dawns,  imitation  takes  hold,  feel- 
ing and  emotion  grow  deeper  and  broaden  their  range.  Muscu- 
lar skill  increases,  bodily  parts  learn  to  work  together,  play 
becomes  a  controlling  motive. 

From  beginnings  which  at  the  first  seem  but  a  promise  the 


22  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

mother  sees  taking  place  before  her  the  miracle  of  growth 
which  transforms  her  helpless  babe  into  a  self-directing  being, 
responsible  in  his  own  right  to  his  Creator  and  capable  of  taking 
his  place  in  the  world  of  men  and  affairs. 

The  Law  of  Spiritual  Growth 

It  is  necessary  that  the  mother  who  would  guide  her  child's 
religious  development  should  understand  the  laws  of  his  mental 
growth,  for  the  same  powers  of  mind  and  heart  are  used  in 
religious  thought  and  feeling  that  apply  to  other  aspects  of 
experience.  In  coming  to  understand  about  God  the  child 
employs  the  same  mental  processes  as  when  he  comes  to  under- 
stand something  in  his  human  relationships.  When  his  feeHngs 
of  love,  friendship,  and  loyalty  go  out  to  Jesus  these  are  the 
same  feehng  activities  which  come  into  play  in  his  love,  friend- 
ship, and  loyalty  to  his  earthly  parents  and  friends.  When 
the  age  has  come  for  making  choices  and  reaching  decisions 
for  himself,  the  same  laws  will  govern  in  the  matter  of  religion 
that  control  in  other  affairs. 

Because  of  this  significant  truth  it  follows  that  the  child  can 
progress  no  faster  in  his  religious  development  than  in  the 
rest  of  his  development.  He  cannot  understand  or  use  religious 
truths  that  are  beyond  his  grasp  any  more  than  he  can  other 
truths  which  he  cannot  comprehend.  He  cannot  experience 
feelings  or  emotions  too  deep  or  too  exalted  for  him  in  rehgious 
lines  any  more  than  he  can  in  other  lines. 

Therefore  religious  training  must  be  suited  to  the  child. 
Strong  meat  must  not  be  fed  to  babes.  "First  the  blade,  then 
the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear,"  is  the  irrevocable 
law  which  must  be  obeyed. 

Books  for  mothers: 

"The  American  Home  Series"  published  by  The  Abingdon 
Press  (Pamphlets): 


THE  AWAKENING  MIND  23 

The  Education  of  the  Baby  Until  It  is  One  Year  Old. 
The  First  Year  in  a  Baby's  Life. 
The  Second  and  Third  Years. 
The  Biography  of  a  Baby,  Milicent  W.  Shinn.     Published 

by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 
Fundamentals  of  Child  Study  (Chap.  V),  Kirkpatrick.     Pub- 
Kshed  by  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  III 
PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS 

In  the  olden  day  the  physical  nature  was  held  in  low  regard. 
"The  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil"  were  all  condemned  in 
the  same  breath.  The  soul  was  thought  to  suffer  contam- 
ination by  its  contact  with  the  body,  and  the  body  was  neg- 
lected, abused,  and  sometimes  even  cruelly  maimed  in  the 
vain  hope  of  purifying  the  spirit  by  mortifying  the  flesh! 

The  Body  and  the  Soul 

But  in  this  better  day  we  no  longer  accept  such  a  false  and 
debasing  doctrine.  Good  health  ministers  to  beauty  of  soul 
as  well  as  body.     In  Browning's  words, 

"All  good  things  are  ours, 
Nor  soul  helps  flesh  more  now 
Than  flesh  helps  soul." 

The  mother  who  would  guide  aright  her  child's  religious 
development  must  understand  the  whole  child.  She  must 
realize  that  religion  is  inextricably  bound  up  with  the  entire 
life.  There  is  no  possibihty  of  considering  spiritual  growth 
separated  from  the  normal  growth  of  body  and  mind.  Re- 
ligion not  only  concerns  every  department  of  life,  but  is  in  turn 
influenced  by  aU  that  hfe  contains. 

If  we  could  but  know  our  children  better — know  the  frail 
Httle  body,  and  especially  the  delicate  and  tender  brain  and 
nervous  system!  Ordinarily  we  do  not  think  of  babies  being 
nervous.  "Nerves"  are  a  luxury  reserved  for  harassed  or  over- 
worked adults.  Mother  is  tired  with  a  stinging  weariness,  or 
father  comes  home  from  a  day  of  racking  cares,  and  the  nerves 

24 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS  25. 

are  on  edge.     Each  needs  quiet  and  rest  and  soothing  minis- 
trations and  sleep  to  "knit  up  the  raveled  sleeve  of  care." 

But  the  baby?  The  baby,  who  has  no  work,  no  care,  no 
burdens  to  shoulder? —  Who  knows?  This  new  and  unripe 
brain,  "these  untried  nerves — do  they  too  not  feel  the  strain 
and  tension  of  existence?  Do  they  not  weary  under  infantile 
troubles  as  real  as  those  that  disturb  our  own  peace  of  mind? 
May  they  not  become  frayed  by  worry  or  fretting,  cr  too  much 
attention  and  excitement,  or  too  many  people  about,  or  want 
of  sleep  at  proper  time? 

Sleep  and  Rest 

The  ol^scrving  mother  realizes  how  easily  and  quickly  the 
young  child  tires.  A  happy,  hilarious  play  spell  is  on,  and 
it  seems  a  pity  to  stop  it.  But  after  a  time  the  enjoyment 
lessens,  signs  of  fretting  are  seen,  and  perhaps  the  baby  cries. 
The  child  is  overtired;  the  play  should  have  been  stopped 
sooner  and  the  weary  brain  and  nerves  given  a  chance  to  recover 
their  tone.  Such  overtiring,  if  it  occurs  too  often,  leads  the 
child  to  irritable  moods  and  fretful  tempers,  thereby  spoiling 
the  disposition  as  well  as  retarding  growth  and  development. 

For  the  first  three  months  the  babe  needs  for  the  most  part 
but  to  sleep  and  eat.  Plentiful  sleep  remains  one  of  the  chief 
requirements  throughout  childhood.  Many  children  who  are 
cross  and  unruly  and  who  show  undesirable  streaks  of  rebellion 
are  but  the  victims  of  shortened  hours  of  sleep  and  are  paying 
the  penalty  which  nature  never  fails  to  exact  of  those  who 
trespass  on  her  laws.    Sleep  is  nature's  best  restorer  and  builder. 

At  birth,  from  eighteen  to  twenty  hours  a  day  should  be 
devoted  to  sleep;  at  six  months,  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  hours; 
during  the  second  year,  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  hours;  the  third 
year,  from  fourteen  to  fifteen  hours;  and  for  the  next  three 
years  an  average  of  thirteen  hours.  Up  to  school  age  children 
should  take  a  day  nap  to  break  the  long  strain  on  the  nervous 


26  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

system  of  a  day  of  active  play.  The  habit  of  an  early  and 
regular  bedtime  hour  following  a  simple  meal  should  be  as 
fixed  as  the  setting  of  the  sun.  Children  who  are  allowed  to 
suit  their  own  fancy  about  going  to  bed,  or  those  whose  bed- 
time hour  is  changed  on  every  slight  pretext  cannot  escape  the 
penalty  sure  to  be  imposed  on  disposition  as  well  as  body  for 
the  disregard  of  inexorable  law. 

Food,  Growth,  and  Character 

Of  equal  importance  in  building  good  foundations  is  the 
matter  of  nutrition.  Probably  few  mothers  think  when  feeding 
their  children  or  planning  a  dietary  of  any  important  effects 
beyond  physical  growth  and  health.  Yet  science  teaches  us 
that  there  is  an  undoubted  relation  between  malnutrition  and 
moral  delinquency  and  degeneracy. 

For  the  young  infant  the  mother's  milk  is  the  natural  and 
best  food.  No  substitute  for  it  has  ever  been  discovered.  While 
we  have  no  complete  statistics  for  the  entire  country,  it  is 
known  that  for  large  masses  of  our  population  one  baby  out 
of  every  ten  born  dies  during  its  first  year.  This  is  a  consid- 
erably larger  percentage  than  of  soldiers  killed  at  the  front 
in  the  late  European  war.  It  is  safer  to  be  a  soldier  in  active 
modern  warfare  than  to  be  a  baby  during  the  first  year  of  life 
in  modern  America!  And  physicians  everywhere  tell  us  that 
the  greatest  single  factor  in  this  tragic  infant  mortality  is  feed- 
ing. Three  fourths  of  the  babies  who  die  the  first  year  are 
bottle  fed.  Nearly  one  third  of  a  million  children  die  annually 
in  the  United  States  under  five  years  of  age — more  from  incor- 
rect feeding  than  from  any  other  causes,  or  probably  from  all 
other  causes  combined. 

But  it  is  not  a  question  of  mortality  only.  Not  all  improperly 
fed  children  die  under  the  mistreatment,  but  none  of  those 
who  live  escape  the  later  handicap  which  malnutrition  is  sure  to 
place  upon  them.     Out  of  one  hundred  and  one  Better  Babies 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS  27 

selected  at  random  from  a  contest,  eighty-nine  were  breast 
fed,  eight  were  fed  by  a  combination  of  breast  and  bottle, 
and  only  four  on  the  bottle  alone.  Who  can  estimate  the 
greater  advantage  and  larger  promise  lying  ahead  of  the  child 
who  has  a  good  physical  start  in  life!  No  considerations  of 
personal  or  selfish  nature  should  cause  the  mother  to  refuse  or 
neglect  the  sacred  duty  of  nursing  her  offspring. 

Regularity  of  feeding  is  almost  as  much  a  factor  in  good 
nutrition  of  young  children  as  the  quality  of  the  food  itself. 
The  baby  should  be  fed  by  the  clock  just  as  it  should  be  put 
to  sleep  by  the  clock.  This  is  in  part  because  regular  feeding 
is  one  of  the  factors  of  good  nutrition;  it  is  also  a  factor  in  the 
grounding  of  certain  fundamental  physical  habits  which  lay 
the  foundations  of  stability  of  character.  "But,"  says  one 
mother,  "surely  my  baby  knows  better  when  it  is  hungry  than 
I  could  know."  No,  such  is  not  the  case.  The  baby  is  quite 
certain  to  interpret  various  kinds  of  discomfort  as  hunger, 
and  therefore  to  get  into  the  habit  of  expecting  to  be  fed  at 
all  times.  The  result  is  an  overworked  stomach,  indigestion, 
more  discomfort,  and  more  clamoring  for  food.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  baby,  if  healthy,  can  be  trained  to  become  hungry 
at  regular  intervals,  take  a  full  meal,  and  then  be  satisfied 
until  feeding  time  comes  again. 

A  psychologist  writes  that  one  of  the  most  common  errors 
of  adults  in  deahng  with  children's  minds  is  that  of  interpreting 
the  child's  mind  in  terms  of  their  own.  One  wonders  whether 
the  same  principle  does  not  hold  for  many  careless  or  ignorant 
parents  in  dealing  with  the  bodies  of  their  children.  Paul  was 
generous  in  his  judgment  when  he  said,  "We  do  not  feed  strong 
meat  to  babes."  For  that  is,  in  effect,  just  what  we  do  when 
we  allow  the  child  to  have  food  not  adapted  to  his  age.  Sara 
is  between  two  and  three  years  of  age.  She  was  given  several 
ice-cream  cones  at  a  summer  picnic — because  she  cried  for 
them.    The  next  day  she  was  cross  and  fretful  and  had  a  rash 


28  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

over  her  face.  "It's  the  heat,"  said  her  mother.  "It  is  indi- 
gestion caused  by  improper  feeding,"  said  the  doctor.  Eighteen 
months'  old  Bobbie  was  given  peanuts  by  a  doting  grand- 
parent because  "he  always  gave  his  children  what  they  wanted 
to  eat  and  it  didn't  hurt  them."  Sequel:  vomiting,  fever,  castor 
oil,  several  days  of  peevishness  and  low  spirits,  and  so  much 
of  happiness,  health,  and  good  nature  checked  out  of  the  bank 
of  Bobbie's  future. 

The  good  old  family  doctor,  sitting  by  the  bedside  of  a  sick 
child,  said  to  the  young  mother  gently  but  with  terrible  mean- 
ing: "It  is  true  that  the  sins  of  the  fathers  are  visited  upon 
the  children,  but  perhaps  it  is  even  more  true  that  the  ignorance 
or  carelessness  of  the  mothers  is  visited  upon  them." 

In  the  surveys  that  have  been  made  in  our  public  schools 
an  alarmingly  large  proportion  of  children  have  been  found 
suffering  from  various  forms  of  malnutrition.  These  children 
come  from  the  "best"  homes  as  well  as  from  the  homes  of  the 
poorer  classes.  In  most  cases  it  is  not  so  much  a  question  of 
the  amount  of  money  spent  on  the  table  as  of  the  careful  study 
of  a  particular  child's  needs  for  his  health  and  correct  growth. 
A  serious  aspect  of  the  matter  is  that  not  only  is  the  child's 
physical  development  being  retarded  but  his  mental  power 
is  being  impaired  and  his  whole  future  jeopardized. 

It  is  stated  by  Dr.  William  R.  Emerson  that  probably  one 
third  of  our  school  children  are  not  up  to  normal  health,  al- 
though apparently  they  may  seem  to  be  fairly  well  and  strong. 
Many  of  these  troubles,  possibly  most  of  them,  had  their  origin 
during  the  first  five  years  of  the  child's  fife. 

The  Breath  of  Life 

It  is  as  possible  to  starve  the  child  for  want  of  air  as  for 
want  of  food.  When  we  close  the  drafts  of  a  stove  we  shut 
out  the  oxygen  and  the  fire  burns  low  or  goes  out.  When  we 
keep  the  baby  in  a  close,  ill-ventilated  room  we  rob  him  of  the 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS  29 

life-giving  oxygen  and  the  fires  of  life  burn  low — they  may 
even  go  out  if  some  ailment  or  disease  attacks  the  weakened 
organs.  The  pale  face,  the  anemic  body,  the  tendency  to  take 
cold  are  evidences  of  oxygen  starvation. 

Referring  again  to  the  one  hundred  and  one  Better  Babies 
in  the  contest:  eighty  had  always  slept  alone,  and  ninety- 
one  had  always  slept  with  the  windows  open.  The  "drafts" 
were  kept  open  for  the  young  organism  so  that  the  fires  of 
growth  and  health  might  burn  brightly. 

Many  mothers,  sensing  the  fact  that  the  young  child  re- 
quires more  heat  than  the  adult,  are  afraid  of  the  open  air  or 
out-of-doors  for  their  children.  It  is  just  at  this  period  of 
fife,  however,  that  the  child  is  making  his  most  rapid  growth, 
and  so  needs  an  abundance  of  pure  air  and  sunshine.  The  out- 
door nap  when  the  weather  permits,  outdoor  play  in  proper 
clothing  to  insure  protection,  abundance  of  sunlight  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year — these  are  valuable  insurance  against 
sickness  and  disease  and  the  surest  guarantee  of  vigor  and 
normal  development. 

Clothing  and  Comfort 

In  the  dressing  of  her  child  the  sensible  mother  will  know  its 
needs  and  not  be  too  much  influenced  on  the  one  hand  by 
tradition  nor  on  the  other  by  the  fads  of  the  day.  Miss  Shinn 
tells  us  that  babies  lose  a  great  deal  of  their  normal  activity 
through  the  wearing  of  clothes.  Since  children  do  not  live 
in  tropical  forests  nor  have  their  own  hair  coverings  they  must 
wear  clothes,  but  we  ought  to  leave  the  Httle  hmbs  as  free  as 
we  can  without  risk  from  cold.  A  chance  to  roll  about  nude 
in  a  room  that  is  safely  warm  is  a  great  thing  for  a  baby.  Free- 
dom of  movement,  adaptation  to  play,  protection  against  the 
weather  and  physical  comfort  should  be  considered  ahead  of 
convention  and  fashion,  though  attractiveness  and  artistic 
effect  need  not  be  neglected. 


30 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


In  many  cities  of  our  country  children's  health  clinics  have 
been  established.  In  these  clinics  live  essential  factors  are 
taken  as  the  basis  of  good  health : 


A  STATE  PRIZE  BABY 

The  Good  Nature  back  of  this  Smile  means  much  for 
future  Disposition  and  Character 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS  31 

1.  To  get  children  to  take  proper  food  at  proper  intervals. 

2.  To  prevent  over  fatigue. 

3.  To  secure  fresh  air  day  and  night. 

4.  To  estabhsh  sufhcient  home  discipHne  to  carry  out  good 
health  habits. 

5.  To  remove  physical,  mental  and  social  causes  of  mal- 
nutrition. 

There  are  very  few  children  who  are  not  suffering  from  the 
lack  of  one  or  more  of  these  essentials  for  the  securing  of  good 
health  and  full  development.  Should  not  all  parents  study 
their  children  in  the  hght  of  these  factors  in  order  that  they 
may  avoid  the  handicaps  which  later  may  defeat  them  in  arriving 
at  the  goal?  Should  we  not  rid  ourselves  of  the  comfortable 
fallacy  that  the  physical  disabilities  of  childhood  will  be  "out- 
grown" if  let  alone?  Should  we  not  accept  the  cold,  cruel  fact 
that  many  of  these  disabilities  will,  if  let  alone,  increase  and 
that  even  those  that  are  "outgrown"  have  taken  their  toll  from 
their  victim? 

Every  child  has  a  right  to  the  best  chance  we  can  give  him. 
Good  health  and  a  well-developed  body  are  abundantly  worth 
while  for  their  own  sake  alone.  But  parents  should  also  realize 
that  while  physical  vigor  does  not  insure  a  life  of  rectitude,  it 
goes  far  to  make  the  conditions  favorable.  A  good  digestion 
and  an  abundance  of  red  blood  bear  an  important  relation 
to  clean  morals. 

Exercises  for  the  Baby 

Many  educators  believe  that  even  before  the  impulse  to 
spontaneous  play  has  arisen  the  young  child  should  regularly 
be  given  carefully  planned  physical  exercises.  These  must, 
of  course,  be  suited  to  his  degree  of  development  and  his  needs. 
They  must  not  be  overdone,  strain  tender  muscles,  or  weary 
delicate  brain  and  nerves.  Their  whole  success  and  value 
depend  on  their  perfect  adjustment  to  the  individual  child. 


32 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Normal  healthy  babies  from  the  age  of  even  two  months  will 
enjoy  suitable  exercises  properly  given,  and  will  come  to  re- 
spond to  them  with  great  satisfaction  and  glee.  If  the  child 
cries  or  frets  under  them,  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  the  exercises 
are  not  being  given  in  the  right  way. 

The  exercises  were  devised  and  their  accompanying  illus- 
trations^ suppHed  by  Mary  L.  Read,  director  of  the  School 
of  Mothercraft,  New  York. 

I.  Arm  Exercises ;  for  developing  the  chest,  upper  back, 
and  arms.  Two  simple  exercises  alternate,  (i)  in  which  the 
arms  are  extended  outward  and  brought  back,  and  (2)  in  which 
they  are  extended  upward  and  brought  back. 


Fig. 


Fig.  2 


(i)  Clasp  child's  hands  and  bring  them  together  on  chest 
(child  may  grasp  mother's  thumbs).  Sing  first  note  la  with 
hands  on  chest  as  in  Figure  i;  with  second  note  extend  arms 
as  in  Figure  2;  with  third  note  return  hands  to  chest.  Repeat 
three  times,  then  follow  with  (2). 

No.  1  and  3  Outward  arm  movements  and  for  right  leg  exercise 


-f2 


-z^- 


-,2 


:t=b^ 


(2)  Sing  (as  before)   first  note  with  hands  on  chest  as  in 
Figure  i ;  with  second  note  raise  arms  above  head  as  in  Figure  3 ; 


^  The  Mothercraft  Manual,  by  courtesy  of  Little,  Brown  &  Co  ,  Boston. 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS 


33 


Fig.  3 


Fig.  4 


with  third  note  return  hands  to  chest.     Repeat  three  times, 
then  go  back  to  (i),  continuing  to  end  of  exercise  period. 

No.  2  and  4  Upward  arm  movements  and  for  left  leg  exercise.  2nd  ending  for  No.  4 

-4~r-^ ^— , — , 1—'  -^ — Lj_,2  — -^:^A^ 


^- 


~^—- 


II.  Leg  Exercises;  for  developing  leg  and  trunk  mus- 
cles. Two  separate  exercises  are  provided:  (i)  in  which  the 
leg  is  flexed  at  the  knees  and  bent  up  to  the  body,  and  (2)  in 
which  the  knee  is  kept  straight  and  the  leg  brought  to  right 
angle  with  the  body.  These  two  leg  exercises  are  not  to  be 
alternated  as  in  the  case  of  the  arm  exercises,  either  (i)  or 
(2)  being  sufficient  for  one  exercise  period. 

(i)  Grasp  child's  right  foot  and  with  leg  extended  sing  first 
note  la  (as  in  [i]  arm  movements);  with  second  note  bend 
knee  to  body  as  in  Figure  4;  with  third  note  bring  foot  back  to 
first  position.  Repeat  for  the  left  leg  (using  music  as  in  [2] 
for  arm  movements).  Do  this  alternately  three  times  for  each. 
Then  repeat  with  both  legs  together  (music  as  in  either  [i]  or 
[2]  for  arm  movements).     Continue  to  end  of  exercise  period. 

(2)  Grasp  child's  right  leg  as  shown  in  Figures  5  and  6, 
keeping  knee  straight.  Sing  first  note  la  with  leg  extended; 
with  second  note  bend  leg  to  right  angle  with  body;  with  third 
note  bring  leg  back  to  first  position.  Repeat  for  left  leg.  Do 
this  alternately  three  times  for  each.    Then  repeat  three  times 


34 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


with   both   legs   together.      Continue   this   alternation   to   end 
of  exercise  period. 


Fig.  5 


Fig.  6 


The  leg  exercises  may  be  varied  by  using  the  directions 
found  in  Susan  E.  Blow's  ''Songs  and  Music  of  Froebel's  Mother 
Play." 

III.  Pulling  Exercises;  for  developing  the  muscles  of  the 
arms  and  trunk.  When  the  child  is  able  to  lift  his  head  he 
may  be  allowed  to  pull  himself  up  to  a  sitting  position,  holding 
his  mother's  hands.  Sing  first  note  la  with  child  lying  as  in 
Figure  7;  with  second  note  pull  to  sitting  position,  as  in  Figure 
8;  with  third  note  return  to  first  position.  This  may  be  re- 
peated three  times,  gradually  adding  to  the  number  as  age  and 
strength  increase. 


For  Figures  7  and  8 


and    down 


and    down 


-7Sr 

down. 


IV.  The  "Wheelbarrow"  Exercise;  for  developing  all 
body  muscles.  About  the  age  of  eleven  months  many  babies 
go  "on  all  fours."  At  this  stage  the  "wheelbarrow"  exercise 
may  begin.  Grasp  the  baby's  feet  and  lift  them  while  he  sup- 
ports himself  on  his  hands  and  arms.    This  must  be  done  care- 


PHYSICAL  FOUNDATIONS 


35 


fully,  without  jerks  or  sudden  strains.  At  first  the  periods 
of  strain  should  be  very  brief,  the  time  being  extended  with 
increasing  age  and  strength. 


Fig.  7 


Fig.  8 


Books  for  mothers: 

The   Mothercraft  Manual,   Mary  L.   Read.     Little,   Brown 

&  Co.,  Boston. 
The  Songs  and  Music  of  Froebel's  Mother  Play.     Arranged 
by  Susan  E.  Blow.     D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York  City. 
From  pamphlets  in  Government  Series: 
Prenatal  Care  No.  i,  Mrs.  Max  West. 
Infant  Care  No.  2,  Mrs.  Max  West. 
Child  Care  No.  3,  Mrs.  Max  West. 
(The  Pre-school  Age) 
Health  Pamphlets  published  by  Elizabeth  McCormick  Founda- 
tion, 6  No.  Michigan  Avenue,  Chicago. 
Parents   and  Their   Problems,   Vol.    II.     PubHshed    by  the 
National  Congress  of  Mothers,  Washington,  D.  C. 


CHAPTER  IV 
FIRST  IMPRESSIONS 

The  babe  is  but  a  few  days  old,  and  the  father  as  he  holds 
his  precious  new-born  son  looks  down  upon  him  and  some- 
what tremulously  remarks,  "I  beKeve  I  have  begun  to  love 
this  Uttle  mite  already."  "I  have  loved  it  for  months  before 
it  was  born,"  the  mother  replies,  quietly.  And  not  only  had 
she  loved  her  child,  but  she  had  prayed  for  it — prayed  that 
the  new  Life  that  was  to  come  to  them  might  be  strong  in  body 
and  beautiful  in  character.  Later  she  prayed  that  this  man- 
child  might  be  great — great  because  he  was  good,  for  she  realized 
that  greatness  and  goodness  go  hand  in  hand. 

The  Mother's  Preparation 

You  will  know  from  this  that  she  was  a  praying  mother. 
She  felt  that  the  strength  which  she  daily  received  from  the 
heavenly  Father  must  have  a  part  in  the  life  of  her  child.  It 
was  natural  for  her  to  pray.  It  is  for  most  mothers.  So  she 
kept  on  praying  as  she  kept  on  loving — because  she  could  not 
help  it.  And  are  not  these  two  the  very  foundation  principles 
of  religious  life  for  the  mother — praying  and  loving?  The  mother 
prayed  that  she  might  receive  wisdom  and  strength  for  the 
training  of  her  child;  she  prayed  that  her  child  should  be  blessed 
of  God,  fine,  true  and  unselfish,  radiating  helpfulness;  she  prayed 
that  she  might  love  her  child,  with  an  intelHgent  affection  that 
gives  itself  not  unreasonably,  but  with  a  love  which  is  coupled 
with  clear  insight,  calm  judgment,  and  sympathetic  under- 
standing of  the  needs  of  her  child. 

This  very  longing  and  praying  for  her  child  will  influence 
the  mother  herself  to  be  what  she  wishes  her  child  to  become, 

36 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  37 

for  it  naturally  follows  that  what  we  strive  for  and  have  a 
passion  to  possess  for  the  sake  of  another  becomes  a  part  of 
our  own  spiritual  equipment.  Nor  can  the  child's  character 
fail  to  be  impressed  by  this  longing  and  praying  on  the  part 
of  the  mother.  Though  it  is  natural  for  mothers  to  pray  and 
though  most  mothers  do  pray,  yet  there  are  many  whose  prayer 
life  during  girlhood  and  early  womanhood  has  not  been  very 
definite,  whose  religious  convictions  have  been  somewhat 
vague,  and  to  whom  religion  has  not  meant  all  that  it  might. 
But  now  with  the  coming  of  her  babe  there  is  a  new  longing 
in  the  mother's  heart  that  the  child  shall  remain  within  the 
fold,  and  a  purpose  that  he  shall  be  trained  in  religious  things, 
for  she  covets  for  him  the  fullness  of  life  and  strength  of  char- 
acter which  depend  on  religious  nurture  and  growth. 

To  realize  this  desire  for  her  child  the  mother  must  do  more 
than  yearn.  She  must  now  become  an  active  influence  in  his 
spiritual  development.  This  means  that  she  must  first  of  all 
embody  in  herself  the  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  that  she 
would  have  built  into  the  young  life.  It  means  that  the  beauty 
and  the  simpHcity  of  the  Christ  example  and  teaching  must 
have  control  in  her  daily  living.  Her  standards  and  ideals 
must  be  high;  she  must  be  the  soul  of  honor,  rising  above 
all  pettiness  and  jealousy;  she  must  cultivate  that  true  insight 
into  her  child's  nature  that  will  make  her  a  sympathetic 
companion,  a  happy  play  fellow;  she  must  possess  a  joyous 
personality  capable  of  spontaneously  radiating  love  and  hap- 
piness. 

All  of  these  qualities  the  mother  will  now  desire  and  achieve 
not  alone  for  what  they  will  mean  to  herself,  but  for  what 
they  will  mean  to  the  child  whose  development  she  is  to  direct. 
And  all  of  these  quahties  she  can  have  increasingly  in  her  own 
life,  for  they  come  from  close  companionship  with  beautiful 
thoughts  and  from  living  constantly  in  the  presence  of  the  best; 
they  come  from  close  companionship  with  God. 


38  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Unconscious  Absorption  of  Religious  Impressions 

Religious  training  should  not  be  postponed  until  the  child 
is  capable  of  full  understanding,  for  even  in  the  days  of  help- 
less infancy  there  are  many  influences  and  activities  at  work 
for  the  making  of  character.  The  child  can  breathe  in  from 
the  atmosphere  of  his  surroundings  the  spirit  of  good  will,  of 
helpfulness,  of  sympathy  and  love.  He  can  form  such  an  im- 
pression of  human  relationships  that  when  he  later  receives 
instruction  about  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  Brotherhood 
of  Jesus  he  will  have  a  background  of  precious  meaning  to 
give  these  concepts. 

Likewise,  the  facts  of  devotion  in  family  worship,  grace  at 
meals,  and  bedside  prayer  gradually  lead  the  child  to  perform 
these  acts  for  himself.  None  can  estimate  the  value  of  these 
early  impressions!  The  young  mother  prays  at  the  baby's 
bedside  as  she  tucks  him  in  each  night.  She  thanks  God  for 
his  life.  She  prays  that  he  may  be  unselfish,  that  his  Httle  life 
shall  be  expressive  of  happiness,  that  he  may  be  kind  to  brothers 
and  sisters,  that  he  shall  come  to  feel  for  himself  the  desire 
to  do  right.  She  prays  for  wisdom  that  she  may  know  the 
right  things  to  do  and  for  strength  that  she  may  be  able  to 
carry  out  His  plan  for  the  child.  Much  of  this  the  young  child 
does  not  comprehend,  but  he  realizes  that  something  serious 
and  beautiful  is  taking  place,  and  that  it  has  to  do  with  him, 
and  that  it  has  to  do  with  God. 

It  is  better  that  the  bedside  prayer  shall  be  an  audible  one, 
for  the  sound  of  the  mother's  reverent  tones  accompanied  by 
the  sight  of  her  bowed  head  and  clasped  hands  serves  to  make 
an  indehble  impression  upon  the  plastic  mind.  Furthermore, 
if  from  the  first  the  mother  prays  aloud,  even  before  the  babe 
can  understand  any  word  of  meaning,  it  overcomes  any  diffi- 
dence she  may  have  about  audible  prayer,  while  it  also  gives 
her  confidence  and  prepares  the  way  for  the  time  a  little  later 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  39 

when  she  and  her  child  will  have  talks  and  prayers  together 
at  the  bedtime  hour. 

In  the  Dawn  of  Religion  in  the  Mind  of  a  Child,  Mrs.  Mum- 
ford  sets  forth  the  value  of  audible  prayer  somewhat  as  follows: 
Thus,  praying  at  the  bedtime  hour,  night  after  night  and  month 
after  month,  there  comes  a  time  when  the  laddie  seems  to 
sense  something  of  what  his  mother  is  doing  as  she  kneels  with 
her  hand  clasped  about  his.  As  yet  he  does  not  in  the  least 
understand  it,  but  mother's  face  is  beautiful  and  her  voice 
somehow  creates  in  him  a  feeling  of  wonder  and  quietness, 
and  this  feehng  of  quietness  in  turn  becomes  a  feeling  of  rev- 
erence as  he  grows  older.  In  time  he  recognizes  this  as  a  part 
of  his  bedtime  hour. 

Forming  Religious  Habits 

The  beauty  and  significance  of  these  early  acts  of  religious 
observance  is  that  they  serve  to  create  permanent  attitudes 
and  establish  lasting  habits  which  will  carry  over  into  later 
years. 

Marie  is  only  two  years  old,  but  she  enjoys  sitting  in  her 
high  chair  at  the  family  breakfast  table.  Breakfast  had  be- 
come a  regular  occasion.  But  one  morning  she  had  overslept 
and  by  the  time  she  had  come  to  the  table  father  had  said 
grace,  and  the  family  were  eating.  As  soon  as  Marie  was  put 
into  the  high  chair  she  bowed  her  head  and  clasped  her  hands. 
This  was  a  part  of  the  breakfast- time  hour;  the  habit  was  formed 
and  the  attitude  in  process  of  development.  The  child  felt 
grace  before  she  understood  it. 

An  instance  of  similar  import.  Channing  sees  brother  and 
sister  bow  their  heads  at  meal  time.  Something  is  being  said. 
He  doesn't  understand  it.  Sometimes  brother  "says  something," 
and  sister  does  other  times.  So  Channing  mumbles.  No  one 
laughs  or  seems  amused  because  it  is  real  to  the  laddie.  He 
is  receiving  a  lesson  in  quietness  and  reverence.    A  little  later 


40  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

he  will  be  taught  words  to  say,  and  then  he  too  will  take  his 
turn  at  saying  grace. 

The  first  value,  therefore,  of  the  bedtime  prayer,  grace  at 
meals,  the  father's  morning  prayer  for  the  family  before  the 
child  can  grasp  their  meaning  is  the  fine  opportunity  which  they 
give  in  preparing  the  soil  for  planting  the  seeds  of  definite 
instruction  when  the  right  time  has  come.  And  Httle  by  httle 
the  effect  is  being  built  into  the  growing  mind;  bit  by  bit  re- 
sponses are  being  made  in  the  form  of  simple  ideas.  This  little 
babe  is  beginning  to  understand. 

The  Quiet  Hour 

As  the  child  grows  older,  the  bedtime  hour  becomes  a  time 
of  confidence  between  mother  and  child.  Much  of  the  rich- 
ness of  love  and  comradeship  is  missed  by  the  mother  who  does 
not  take  the  time  to  be  with  her  child  at  the  bedtime  hour. 
They  talk  together;  perhaps  the  child  asks  questions.  The 
mother  tells  him  of  the  wonderful  Person  whom  we  can  neither 
see  nor  hear,  but  who  loves  us  and  has  given  us  this  beautiful 
world — God  the  heavenly  Father,  who  has  given  us  father 
and  mother,  the  flowers,  the  birds,  and  everything  that  makes 
us  happy.  The  first  ideas  and  impressions  about  God  should  be 
of  love  and  happiness.  The  child  hears  his  mother  speak  of 
mother's  love,  of  father's  love,  of  God's  love,  and  the  child 
reaHzes  that  he  loves  mother  and  father;  he  is  coming  to  know 
what  love  is.  To  him  mother  and  father  are  the  embodiment 
of  all  love  and  goodness.  They  should  be  to  the  child  the  first 
representatives  of  the  love  of  God.  They  are  his  first  inter- 
preters of  his  ideas  in  rehgion.  And  as  a  child  comes  to  feel 
the  love  he  has  for  his  mother  and  father,  so  will  he  understand 
without  analyzing  it  something  of  the  love  of  God,  the  heavenly 
Father. 

In  their  talks  together  the  mother  tells  her  child  how  the 
heavenly  Father  loves  his  children,  how  he  helps  us  to  be  good 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  41 

and  kind,  how  he  cares  for  us  and  watches  over  us  while  we 
wake  and  while  we  sleep.  The  child  learns  that  prayer  is  talk- 
ing to  God  in  a  simple,  reverent  way,  for  mother  talks  to  God, 
thanking  him  for  the  happy  day  and  asking  that  he  will  watch 
over  her  child  during  the  night,  keeping  him  safe  in  his  care. 

In  the  great  out-of-doors  are  still  other  opportunities  to  teach 
lessons  about  God.  The  child  can  be  simply  told  how  God 
has  given  us  the  sunshine  and  the  green  grass,  the  flowers  and 
the  birds.  In  later  lessons  he  will  learn  more  of  the  presence 
of  Crod  in  nature.  From  his  picture  books  and  lessons  as  well 
as  from  his  animal  playmates  he  may  be  taught  about  God's 
care  of  animals  and  that  we  should  be  kind  to  them. 

In  some  such  simple  ways  as  these  can  the  first  religious 
impressions  be  made  upon  the  child  while  still  too  young  for 
formal  lessons  in  religion.  These  simple  impressions  of  wonder, 
happiness,  love,  responsiveness  are  the  beginnings  out  of 
which  the  fuller  spiritual  growth  of  more  mature  years  will 
spring. 

Books  for  mothers: 

The  Dawn  of  Religion  in  the  Mind  of  a  Child,  Edith  Read 
Mumford.  Pubhshed  by  Longmans,  Green  &  Co..  New 
York. 

The  First  Year  in  a  Baby's  Life,  American  Home  Series. 
Published  by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  V 
TEACHING  ABOUT  GOD 

At  the  very  center  of  the  child's  first  instruction  in  religion 
should  be  God.  Long  before  he  can  understand  religion  he  can 
learn  about  a  heavenly  Father.  The  rather  indefinite  impres- 
sions about  God  which  are  at  first  formed  should  gradually 
give  way  to  more  definite  ideas.  This  does  not  mean  that 
the  child  (nor  we!)  can  grasp  the  full  meaning  of  God,  but, 
rather,  that  little  by  Kttle  he  may  come  to  realize  more  fully 
his  dependence  on  God  and  God's  care  of  his  children.  The 
great  thing  is  that  the  child  shall  from  the  first  get  such  a  con- 
cept of  God  as  will  attract  him  to  God,  and  not  make  him  afraid 
of  God  or  not  interested  in  him. 

Making  God  Real  to  the  Child 

If  the  parents  have  used  the  opportunities  to  make  early 
religious  impressions,  there  will  follow  naturally  many  little 
expressions  and  questions  about  "Dod"  in  a  simple  childish 
way.  These  should  be  encouraged.  Perhaps  the  child  gives 
utterance  to  words  that  would  be  irreverent  if  spoken  by  an 
older  person.  But  no;  to  the  child  everything  is  natural  and 
real,  and  it  is  a  serious  mistake  to  laugh  at  or  be  shocked  by 
mistaken  ideas  or  expressions  on  the  part  of  the  child.  The 
small  boy  who,  when  he  heard  the  earth  referred  to  as  God's 
footstool,  remarked,  "My,  what  long  legs  God  must  have!" 
was  not  irreverent,  but  only  stating  what  was  to  his  under- 
standing a  perfectly  natural  conclusion.  He  did  not  know 
that  he  had  said  anything  unusual,  but  by  the  attitude  of  his 
elders  he  might  easily  be  made  self-conscious  and  done  a  very 
great  harm. 

42 


TEACHING  ABOUT  GOD  43 

Probably  no  ideas  of  a  little  child  can  be  termed  "religious" 
in  the  sense  that  they  are  distinct  from  his  other  ideas.  But 
this  very  intermingling  of  the  so-called  spiritual  with  the  every- 
day run  of  experiences  is  a  most  valuable  element  in  religious 
training.  Indeed,  it  is  a  working  principle  if  rightly  under- 
stood. The  child  is  linking  up  his  thoughts  of  God  with  the 
thoughts  and  expressions  in  his  little  world.  This  is  a  natural 
development,  and  serves  to  spiritualize  the  whole  range  of 
experiences.  Robert,  taking  his  bath,  calls  mother  to  come 
and  see  Moses  in  the  water;  he  has  taken  a  soap  baby  and  is 
floating  it  in  the  celluloid  soap  dish.  One  wee  maiden  said  the 
newest  rime  that  she  had  learned,  though  it  was  not  especially 
religious,  for  grace  at  meal  time.  Another  child  for  the  meal- 
time prayer  repeated  the  Golden  Text,  "Behold,  your  house 
is  left  unto  you  desolate!"  The  wise  parents,  realizing  the 
spirit  in  which  the  words,  though  unsuitable,  were  spoken, 
accepted  the  situation  as  it  was  meant  and  did  not  embarrass 
the  child  by  either  levity  or  chiding. 

The  possibilities  of  linking  the  child's  activities  and  experiences 
of  the  day  with  the  thought  of  God  are  illustrated  in  this  inci- 
dent: Robert's  father  came  into  the  kitchen  one  morning  and 
the  lad  said,  "Muvver  cooks  some  bekfust  food  for  Bobbie." 
Then  he  added,  "Muvver  cooks  bekfust  food,  God  makes 
bekfust  food."  Bobbie  had  remembered  just  then  that  mother 
had  been  showing  him  the  beautiful  colored  pictures  in  his 
new  picture  book.  In  the  picture  Farmer  Brown  is  plowing 
the  field  making  it  ready  to  sow  the  seed.  Mother  has  told 
Bobbie  in  a  simple  way  how  God  sends  the  sunshine  and  the 
rain  to  make  the  seeds  grow;  how  by  and  by  little  plants  come 
up  out  of  the  ground  and  grow  to  be  tall  plants,  and  then  after 
many  months  the  plants  have  little  seeds  that  are  taken  to  a 
place  called  a  mill  and  are  ground  into  breakfast  food  for  Robert 
and  many  other  little  boys  and  girls;  and  how  this  food  makes 
them  grow  big  and  strong  like  father  and  mother. 


44  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Such  a  story  as  this  may  be  developed  gradually,  one  part 
at  a  time,  as  much  being  given  as  the  child  will  understand. 
The  mother  who  will  take  the  simple  opportunities  as  they 
come  naturally  in  the  day's  associations  to  tell  the  child  of 
God,  will  find  her  child  quickly  responsive  to  the  thought  of 
a  kind  heavenly  Father  and  his  goodness.  In  these  early  lessons 
the  teaching  should  never  be  forced  or  formal.  The  best  lesson 
is  one  that  is  naturally  drawn  from  the  experience  with  which 
it  is  connected,  a  lesson  that  makes  use  of  the  "psychological 
moment." 

The  Natural  Approach  of  the  Child  to  God 

The  naturalness  with  which  the  child's  daily  experiences 
may  be  connected  with  the  thought  of  God  is  seen  in  the  way 
this  mother  used  a  commonplace  occurrence  for  a  lesson  in 
religion:  Billy's  father  has  been  in  the  war,  and  after  his  re- 
turn Billy,  sitting  in  his  father's  lap,  had  heard  him  tell  many 
wonderful  things,  especially  of  the  airplanes  flying  overhead. 
Billy  too  had  once  or  twice  seen  these  wonderful  "birds"  sailing 
across  the  sky.  On  one  occasion,  when  his  father  was  talking, 
Billy  interrupted  him  long  enough  to  ask,  "Daddy,  won't  you 
make  me  an  airplane?"  "Yes,  sometime,"  came  the  reply  with- 
out thinking  very  much  about  it.  Billy  was  in  raptures  and 
not  a  day  was  lost  without  his  asking  his  father  if  he  wouldn't 
"make  the  airplane  to-day."  Billy's  father  was  a  busy  man, 
and  put  off  his  son  on  pretext,  as  fathers  sometimes  do.  But 
down  in  his  inner  consciousness  he  came  to  realize  that  to  make 
an  airplane  was  something  of  an  undertaking  which  he  might 
not  be  able  to  accompUsh.  One  morning,  when  the  usual  ques- 
tion was  asked  the  father  replied  frankly,  "Billy,  I  don't  be- 
lieve I  know  how  to  make  an  airplane."  That  his  father  couldn't 
make  an  airplane  was  a  great  blow  to  Billy.  He  looked  at  him 
in  astonishment.  Why  his  father  could  do  anything!  Walk- 
ing slowly  up  to  his  mother  with  the  great  longing  in  his  heart 


TEACHING  ABOUT  GOD  45 

he  asked,  "Muvver,  do  you  'spose  the  heavenly  Father  could 
make  an  airplane?" 

This  was  enough  for  Billy's  father.  He  felt  he  must  make 
that  airplane;  he  must  keep  his  promise.  He  must  come  up 
to  his  child's  expectations.  It  was  a  wonderful  plane,  three 
feet  long  and  had  something  that  at  least  passed  for  an  engine, 
and  it  made  a  real  whirring  sound  when  it  was  wound  up! 
Can  you  imagine  Billy's  happiness!  At  the  bedtime  hour, 
Billy's  mother  said,  "Billy,  don't  you  want  to  thank  the  heav- 
enly Father  for  helping  daddy  to  make  the  airplane?"  Indeed 
Billy  did,  and  this  time  the  mother  did  not  even  suggest  what 
to  say  in  his  prayer.  It  was  a  simple  outpouring  of  a  child's 
happy  heart,  natural  and  spontaneous.  Out  of  the  fullness  of 
his  gratitude  Billy  was  learning  to  pray. 

In  this  home  the  children  are  taught,  naturally  and  simply, 
that  everything  good  comes  from  God,  and  that  he  wants 
his  children  to  be  happy.  They  are  taught  that  he  is  pleased 
when  we  do  our  best,  and  that  he  always  stands  ready  to  help 
us.  At  bedtime  hour,  mother  and  child  often  talk  over  the 
experiences  of  the  child's  day,  and  the  part  God  has  had  in  it. 

In  many  homes  the  father  takes  his  full  share  in  teaching 
the  child  rehgion.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  Father  is  a  good 
playfellow  and  there  may  be  the  evening  romp.  Then  the  quiet 
time  together,  a  little  talk  about  the  heavenly  Father,  the 
prayer  and  the  child  is  in  bed.  Many  a  child  would  express 
the  wish  that  Junior  did  when  he  reached  up  and  pulled  father 
down  to  him  saying,  "Daddy,  we  could  have  lots  of  fun  if  you'd 
only  stay  at  home  all  day."  This  fact  of  the  father's  being 
away  a  greater  part  of  the  day  may  even  be  used  as  a  lesson 
to  teach  how  the  father's  love  reaches  back  even  while  he  is 
away  from  home,  providing  food,  clothing,  and  other  good 
things  for  his  child. 

Meredith  and  his  father  were  great  chums  and  playfellows 
from  the  time  they  used  to  roll  the  ball  across  the  floor  to  the 


46  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

time  when  the  lad  was  old  enough  for  them  to  take  "hikes" 
together.  There  was  hardly  a  day  when  the  two  did  not  have 
some  time  together,  just  by  themselves.  Without  their  realizing 
it  mother  often  contrived  these  times,  for  she  knew  that  father 
could  give  to  the  child  some  things  which  she  could  not.  But 
there  came  the  war  and  a  time  when  Meredith's  father  had  to 
be  away  from  home  for  more  than  a  year.  One  evening  in  their 
talks,  Meredith  said,  "Mother,  I  do  miss  daddy  dreadfully, 
but  do  you  know  sometimes  I  feel  just  as  if  he  was  with  me 
and  I  play  that  we  are  talking  together."  The  child  who  is 
fortunate  enough  to  have  such  relations  as  these  with  his  father 
will  have  little  trouble  to  grasp  the  thought  of  a  heavenly 
Father  who  is  with  him  though  not  seen  and  with  whom  he  can 
"talk  together." 

A  God  Who  Is  Near  at  Hand 

Sometimes,  perhaps  through  wrong  teaching  on  our  part, 
the  child  gets  an  idea  of  God  as  very  far  off — in  heaven,  and 
of  heaven  as  "up  above  the  sky."  The  understanding  that 
love  can  reach  us  wherever  we  are  was  naturally  reached  in 
this  incident  i"^  John  had  been  attending  the  kindergarten 
regularly  and  was  very  happy  in  sitting  next  to  Dear  Teacher 
every  time  she  told  a  story  or  when  they  were  arranged  in  the 
circle  together.  But  one  day  a  new  child  came.  Mary  Helen 
being  rather  timid,  Miss  Harrison  suggested  to  John  that  he 
sit  across  the  circle  and  let  Mary  Helen  sit  next  to  her.  At 
first  John  absolutely  refused.  Why,  he  loved  his  Teacher  so 
much  he  wanted  to  sit  by  her  all  the  time!  Miss  Harrison 
said  to  John,  very  quietly,  "Can't  your  love  for  me  stretch 
across  the  room?"  John  took  the  challenge.  In  a  Httle  while 
he  raised  his  hand  and  said,  "Miss  Harrison,  it  stretches!''  At 
this  moment  John  was  ready  to  understand  how  God's  love 
can  "stretch"  to  him,  and  his  to  God. 

1  In  A  Study  of  Child  Natiirc,  loy  Elizabeth  Harrison. 


TEACHING  ABOUT  GOD  47 

Mrs.  Mumford  tells  how  the  child  may  come  to  understand 
the  unseen  God:  The  mother  asks  the  child,  "What  makes 
your  arm  move,  laddie?"  when  he  inquires  about  what  makes 
the  branches  of  the  trees  move.  And  then  he  understands 
that  just  as  an  unseen  force  moves  his  arm  so  an  unseen  force 
is  moving  the  trees.  The  child  can  not  see  the  wind,  but  he 
sees  what  the  wind  does.  He  cannot  see  the  love  his  mother 
has  in  her  heart,  but  he  knows  what  that  love  makes  her  do  for 
him.  He  cannot  see  the  love  in  his  own  heart,  but  he  feels  the 
love  that  he  has  for  his  mother.  He  feels  the  joy  in  his  heart 
when  he  does  right;  he  feels  a  sadness  when  he  does  wrong.  In 
such  ways  he  comes  to  understand  the  unseen.^ 

Three-and-a-half-year-old  Winnifred,  just  home  from  her  first 
day  in  the  Beginners  Department  of  the  Sunday  school,  gave 
this  account  of  her  instruction,  which  while  evidently  not  a 
verbatim  account  of  her  teacher's  words,  shows  that  she  had 
grasped  the  idea  truly:  Mrs.  Porter  (her  teacher)  she  say  I 
am  Jesus'  little  sheeps.  First  we  sing  a  Jesus  song.  Then 
Mrs.  Porter  she  say,  "Little  sheeps  got  lost  from  its  mother 
in  the  dark  and  cry.  It  was  cold  and  Jesus  look  out  and  say, 
'My  g'acious!  Somebody  have  to  go  find  little  sheeps.'  So  he 
go  out  in  the  dark  and  bring  it  home  like  this  (pantomime  of 
hands  across  shoulder),  'n  he  take  little  sheeps  upstairs,  'n 
take  off  its  clothes,  'n  give  it  g'ass  water  'n  tuck  it  in  bed  by 
its  mother.  An'  she  say,  'Little  sheeps  that  don't  do  what 
they  mother  say,  always  get  lost!  But  I  awful  glad  see  my 
baby  'gain!'  " 

The  Child's  Questions  About  God 

As  the  child's  mind  develops  and  becomes  more  inquisitive 
the  mother  will  often  find  it  difficult  to  answer  the  child's  ques- 
tions about  God.     Where  does  God  five?    Is  he  in  this  room? 


1  The  Dawn  of  Religion  in  the  Mind  of  a  Child,  Longmans,  Green  &  Co., 
New  York.    This  is  a  valuable  book  for  mothers  of  young  children. 


48  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

What  kind  of  a  place  is  his  home?  Who  lives  with  God?  These 
are  difficult  questions.  Unless  the  child  asks  a  particular  ques- 
tion of  this  nature  it  is  not  advisable  to  impose  the  information 
upon  him.  Some  children  get  the  idea  of  an  unseen  God  with- 
out any  questioning,  just  as  they  can  understand  about  a  play- 
mate or  relative  who  lives  at  another  place.  They  take  it  for 
granted  without  question.  When  questions  are  specifically 
asked,  however,  they  should  be  answered  as  honestly  and 
enlighteningly  as  possible.  Where  does  God  live? — God  Hves 
in  his  heaven.  Where  is  heaven? — Heaven  is  all  about  us. 
Is  God  in  this  room? — Yes.  God  is  everywhere.  What  kind 
of  a  place  is  his  home? — A  very  beautiful  and  happy  place. 
Who  Hves  with  God? — All  his  children  Kve  with  him.  We  are 
God's  children.  We  live  with  him.  The  very  little  child  may 
be  told  that  God  is  like  his  father  only  even  more  kind  and 
loving.  Usually  it  is  best  to  satisfy  younger  children  with 
broad  statements  not  undertaking  to  give  too  much  of  detail 
which  they  cannot  understand.  One  child  was  satisfied  when 
told  that  God  is  a  Person  we  can  feel  in  our  hearts  but  cannot 
see.  In  so  far  as  the  questions  are  answered  at  all  they  should 
be  answered  truthfully  and  nothing  said  that  will  later  need 
to  be  denied. 

A  spiritual  God  is  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  child. 
Hence  it  is  natural  for  many  children  to  endow  him  with  physical 
characteristics.  "God  is  so  tall  he  can  reach  the  sky,"  says 
one  Httle  child.  A  mental  picture  of  God  as  a  benign  old  gentle- 
man with  a  long  white  beard  was  carried  by  one  little  girl 
for  many  years.  Such  incongruous  ideas  need  not  disturb 
the  mother,  providing  the  impression  held  by  the  child  is 
not  unpleasant  or  harmful.  These  concrete  pictures,  inevitable 
in  the  child's  mind,  will  soon  be  corrected  by  instruction  and 
more  perfect  understanding.  The  great  thing  now  is  to  help 
the  child  form  such  an  idea  of  God  that  he  will  be  attracted 
by  the  concept  instead  of  repelled. 


TEACHING  ABOUT  GOD  49 

Saving  from  Wrong  Concepts  of  God 

Mr.  H.  G.  Wells  was  as  a  child  evidently  allowed  to  develop 
a  very  wrong  picture  of  God,  for  he  writes:  "I  who  write  was 
so  set  against  God,  thus  rendered.  He  and  his  hell  were  the 
nightmares  of  my  childhood;  I  hated  him  while  I  still  believed, 
and  who  could  help  but  hate?  I  thought  of  him  as  a  fantastic 
monster  perpetually  spying,  perpetually  listening,  perpetually 
waiting  to  condemn  and  strike  me  dead;  his  flames  as  ready  as 
a  grillroom  fire.  He  was  over  me  and  about  my  feebleness  and 
silliness  and  forgetfulness  as  the  sky  and  sea  would  be  about 
a  child  drowning  in  mid-Atlantic." 

Wrong  concepts  of  God  may  leave  positive  antagonisms 
which  require  years  to  overcome.  A  little  girl  of  nearly  four 
years  had  just  lost  her  father.  She  did  not  understand  the 
funeral  and  the  flowers  and  the  burial.  She  came  to  her  mother 
in  the  evening  and  asked  where  her  papa  was.  The  stricken 
mother  repHed  that  "God  had  taken  him." 

"But  when  is  he  coming  back?"  asked  the  child. 

The  mother  answered  that  he  could  not  come  back. 

"Not  ever?"  persisted  the  child. 

"Not  ever,"  whispered  the  mother. 

"Won't  God  let  him?"  asked  the  relentless  questioner. 

The  heart-broken  mother  hesitated  for  a  word  of  wisdom, 
but  finally  answered,  "No,  God  will  not  let  him  come  back 
to  us." 

And  in  that  moment  the  harm  was  done.  The  child  had 
formed  a  wrong  concept  of  God  as  one  who  would  willfully  take 
away  her  father  and  not  let  him  return.  She  burst  out  in  a 
fit  of  passion:  "I  don't  Uke  God!  He  takes  my  papa  and  keeps 
him  away." 

That  night  she  refused  to  say  her  prayer,  and  for  weeks  re- 
mained rebellious  and  unforgiving  toward  the  God  whom  she 
accused  of  having  robbed  her  of  her  father. 


50  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  concept  of  God  which  the  child  first  needs,  therefore, 
is  God  as  loving  Father,  expecting  obedience  and  trust  from 
his  children;  God  as  inviting  Friend;  God  as  friendly  Protector; 
God  ever  near  at  hand;  God  who  can  understand  and  sym- 
pathize with  children  and  enter  into  their  joys  and  sorrows; 
God  as  Creator,  in  the  sunshine  and  the  flowers;  but  above  all, 
God  filhng  the  heart  with  love  and  gladness.  The  concept 
which  the  child  needs  of  Jesus  is  of  his  surpassing  goodness, 
his  unselfish  courage,  and  his  loving  service.  All  reHgious 
teaching  which  will  lead  to  such  concepts  as  these  is  grounding 
the  child  in  knowledge  that  is  rich  and  fruitful,  for  it  is  making 
God  and  Jesus  real  to  him.  All  teaching  which  leads  to  false 
concepts  is  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  spiritual  development. 

Books  for  mothers: 

Childhood  and  Character,  Hugh  Hartshorne.     Published  by 

The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 
The  Child  as  God's  Child,  Charles  Rishell. 
The    Unfolding    Life,    Antoinette    Abernethy    Lamoreaux. 

PubHshed  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company,  New  York. 
Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture,  Edward  Porter  St.  John. 

Published  by  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 


CHAPTER  VI 
TEACHING  THE  CHILD  TO  PRAY 

Inseparable  from  the  idea  of  God  is  the  tendency  to  pray. 
Only  gradually  does  the  child  learn  to  pray.  His  understanding 
and  use  of  prayer  cannot  outrun  his  mental  growth  and  the 
broadening  range  of  everyday  experience. 

In  preceding  chapters  we  have  briefly  suggested  the  natural 
order  of  the  child's  mental  and  religious  development.  At 
the  beginning  there  is  the  dawn  of  the  first  dim  consciousness, 
then  the  fuller  response  to  the  world  of  sensory  stimuli — the 
sights  and  sounds  and  contacts  of  nature — and  gradually  the 
growth  of  ideas  and  acquaintance  with  an  increasingly  wider 
environment.  Among  the  child's  first  impressions  of  people 
should  be  those  of  love,  comfort,  and  happiness  coming  from 
his  father  and  mother.  These  impressions,  imperfect  and  in- 
complete as  they  are,  are  the  foundation  for  the  later  compre- 
hension of  love  and  happiness  coming  from  the  heavenly  Father. 
Likewise  there  should  be  impressions  of  religious  quietness 
and  reverence,  coming  from  seeing  the  parents  in  prayer  and 
worship.  Such  impressions  precede  and  serve  as  a  basis  for 
the  more  definite  religious  feelings  and  ideas.  It  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  the  religious  awakening  be  interwoven  with 
the  child's  general  mental  development  and  form  a  part  of 
his  everyday  experiences  in  the  home.  For  only  in  this  way 
can  rehgion  be  made  a  true  part  of  Hfe  and  character. 

Learning  to  Pray 

Prayer  first  comes  to  the  child  by  imitation  and  suggestion. 
Through  the  first  few  years  his  experience  with  prayer  comes 

51 


52  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

from  the  prayers  of  his  mother  and  father  or  older  brothers 
and  sisters.  There  will  have  been  many  quiet  times  together 
at  the  bedtime  hour  or  in  the  little  timely  talks  in  answer  to 
the  child's  questioning.  The  mother  has  by  wise  use  of  these 
opportunities  paved  the  way  for  the  first  religious  thoughts 
and  understanding,  and  the  child  is  beginning  to  form  some 
connected  religious  ideas. 

In  thanking  God  as  his  heavenly  Father  the  child  naturally 
draws  upon  the  idea  of  fatherhood  which  has  come  from  his 
experience  with  his  own  father  and  the  love  and  protecting 
care  he  has  shown  for  his  child.  If  earthly  fatherhood  has 
meant  to  the  child  what  it  should,  prayer  will  be,  therefore, 
talking  to  God  as  the  child  would  talk  to  his  own  loving  father, 
though  reverence  and  awe  should  gradually  develop.  The 
great  end  and  aim  of  prayer  at  first  is  to  bring  the  child  to 
find  in  God  a  Friend  and  Father  to  whom  he  as  naturally  turns 
as  to  his  earthly  father.  This  is  to  be  brought  about  step  by 
step  and  in  a  very  natural  way. 

As  early  as  may  be,  possibly  within  the  second  or  third  year, 
the  child  should  be  taught  to  kneel  at  the  bedside  with  the 
mother  while  she  prays  the  little  prayers  that  he  understands. 
The  attitude  of  kneeling  induces  a  feeling  of  quietness  and 
reverence  and  helps  to  form  the  habit  of  prayer.  The  first 
prayers  should  be  simple  and  not  more  than  a  few  sentences 
in  length.  If  the  prayers  are  too  long,  the  child  cannot  give 
his  attention  and  soon  loses  interest  and  only  waits  for  the 
prayer  to  be  over.  The  prayers  should  be  formed  about  the 
child's  closest  interests  and  experiences.  In  this  way,  back 
of  the  act  of  praying  will  be  the  emotional  impulse  which  be- 
longs to  all  true  prayer  and  worship. 

In  the  first  prayers,  before  the  child  can  fomiulate  prayers 
for  himself,  the  mother  or  father  voices  for  the  little  child  the 
thoughts  and  desires  which  he  feels  but  cannot  yet  express. 
The  prayers  may  take  such  forms  as  these: 


TEACHING  THE  CHILD  TO  PRAY  53 

Dear  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  I  thank  thee  that 
thou  dost  love  a  little  child  like  me.  Watch  over  me 
while  I  sleep  to-night.  Keep  me  safe  in  thy  care. 
Amen. 

Dear  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  I  thank  thee  for 
mother  and  father  [other  members  of  the  family  in- 
cluded]. Keep  me  safe  in  thy  care  and  watch  over  me 
while  I  sleep.    Amen. 

As  the  child  develops  he  comes  to  understand  more  and 
more  about  God,  how  he  has  given  him  mother  and  father, 
and  how  he  has  sent  the  flowers,  the  birds,  the  sunshine  and 
other  prized  gifts.  Perhaps  the  bedtime  story  has  been  about 
these  things.  The  little  simple  prayer  that  mother  makes 
while  he  kneels  at  her  side  expresses  this  thought: 

Dear  God,  I  thank  thee  for  the  flowers  and  the  birds 
and  the  sunshine,  and  for  my  kitty.  Keep  me  safe  in 
thy  care.    Watch  over  me  while  I  sleep.    Amen. 

From  the  succession  of  the  quiet  bedtime  talks  and  prayers, 
a  religious  feeling  is  gradually  being  developed  and  valuable 
seed  is  being  sown.  The  mother  teaches  her  child  that  prayer 
is  talking  to  God  in  an  earnest  quiet  way.  She  may  express 
the  longing  of  her  own  heart  and  at  the  same  time  impress  her 
child  by  praying  simply  and  spontaneously  at  his  bedside  that 
God  may  keep  him  and  bless  him  and  make  him  happy  and 
good. 

Creating  the  Mood  for  Prayer 

A  prayer  to  be  spontaneous  must  come  from  the  thoughts 
and  desires  of  the  child  himself.  As  early  as  possible  he  should 
be  led  to  express  himself,  for  expression  is  the  fundamental 
law  of  growth.  At  first  the  child  will  need  help  and  suggestion. 
The  mother  may  by  questioning,  or  by  speaking  of  some  joy 
or  gladness  of  the  day,  suggest  thankfulness  or  awaken  love 


54  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


^s^::::.  _.  -  ^..-j^^t^"-^^,.. 


INFANT  SAMUEL  (Reynolds) 


TEACHING  THE  CHH^D  TO  PRAY  55 

and  appreciation  and  so  prepare  the  mood  for  prayer.  At 
just  the  right  moment  she  asks,  "Do  you  not  want  to  thank 
God  for  .  .  .  (naming  some  experience  or  gift  that  has  come 
to  him)?"  and  the  child  readily  begins  to  formulate  his  own 
prayer. 

'T  not  pway  to-night,"  three-year-old  Robert  says  to  his 
mother,  "I  don't  want  to  pway."  Mother  does  not  seem  shocked 
or  say,  "Why,  Robert,  I  am  surprised!"  or  "Don't  you  know 
it  is  naughty  for  you  not  to  want  to  pray?"  Instead,  mother 
says  quietly,  "We  had  a  good  time  in  the  park  to-day,  didn't 
we?"  And  Robert  replies  without  seeing  his  mother's  purpose 
to  lead  him  out  of  his  little  mood  of  mischief  or  rebelliousness, 
or,  just  being  tired,  "Yes,  we  did.  I  fed  bunnies;  'itty  birds 
came  too.  Go  to  park  too-mah-wah,  JVIuvver?"  "Perhaps. 
What  else  did  Bobbie  see?"  "Pitty  flowers  and  big,  big  lake. 
Bobby  takes  boat  too-mah-wah?"  "Yes,  if  we  go."  The  un- 
dressing is  finished,  and  again  mother  says,  "Don't  you  want 
to  thank  the  heavenly  Father  for  all  the  things  that  made 
you  happy  to-day?"  Bobbie,  now  in  a  different  mood,  kneels 
and  prays  with  mother,  adding  words  of  his  own  for  the  things 
that  impressed  him  most. 

Many  mothers  teach  their  children  the  addition  of  the  Httle 
formula  at  the  close  of  the  prayer:  "God  bless  father,  God  bless 
mother,"  and  so  on  through  the  list.  Whatever  comes  to  the 
child  naturally  and  means  much  to  him  may  be  a  part  of  his 
prayer. 

No  more  Kvely  lad  than  George  ever  lived.  He  was  fuU 
of  mischief,  and  kept  father's  and  mother's  ingenuity  and 
patience  taxed  to  the  utmost,  and  yet  withal  he  was  generous 
and  fine-spirited.  George  was  taught  by  his  parents  to  pray 
for  the  things  that  concerned  him  and  to  thank  God  for  his 
pleasures.  On  one  occasion  there  had  been  a  heavy  snow  dur- 
ing the  night.  The  mayor  of  the  town  had  decreed  that  the 
hill  on  Fourth  Avenue  should  be  reserved  for  the  coasters, 


56  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

that  no  traffic  of  any  kind  should  trespass  here.  George  had 
had  two  hours  after  school  of  great  fun  coasting.  That  ru'ght 
in  his  prayer,  George  thanked  God  that  there  was  "one  slick 
hill  in  Mount  Vernon."  The  prayer  came  spontaneous  and 
genuine  from  a  warm  heart  full  of  boyish  gratitude.  Prayers 
of  this  sort  lead  to  true  spiritual  growth  and  to  a  loving  con- 
sciousness of  the  reality  and  goodness  of  God. 

What  the  Child  Shall  Pray  About 

The  child's  prayer  experience  should  develop  as  his  other 
experiences  broaden.  As  his  interests  come  to  include  more 
persons,  activities  and  objects,  the  thought  of  these  will  naturally 
be  included  in  his  prayers.  As  he  learns  that  happiness  can 
spring  from  loving  service  to  others;  that  pain  and  suffering 
come  from  disobedience,  selfishness  and  bad  temper;  that  he 
often  sorrows  over  some  naughtiness  and  sincerely  wishes  he 
had  not  done  the  wrong  act — as  he  comes,  in  fact,  to  some 
understanding  of  right  and  wrong  conduct,  then  he  is  ready  to 
learn  to  pray  the  prayer  for  help  and  forgiveness. 

Wrong  impressions  of  God  often  make  it  difficult  for  a  child 
to  pray  this  type  of  prayer.  "God  does  not  love  you  when  you 
are  naughty,"  said  one  unwise  mother  to  her  small  son.  First 
of  all,  this  is,  of  course,  false  teaching.  God  does  love  his  chil- 
dren when  they  are  "naughty" — loves  them  enough  to  send 
his  Son  to  die  for  them.  God  does  not  love  or  cease  to  love 
in  accordance  with  the  conduct  of  his  children.  Added  to  the 
false  idea  lodged  in  the  child's  mind  by  the  mother's  foolish 
words  was  the  difficulty  created  when  he  came  to  ask  forgive- 
ness for  being  naughty.  How  could  he  pray  for  forgiveness 
to  One  who  did  not  love  him!  The  result  of  such  teaching  is 
that  the  child  loses  the  tendency  to  pray  and  so  drifts  away 
from  the  near  consciousness  of  God. 

As  the  child  becomes  capable  of  knowing  when  he  has  done 
wrong,  he  needs  to  learn  the  prayer  for  forgiveness.     Patience 


TEACHING  THE  CHILD  TO  PRAY  57 

and  sympathy  must  accompany  whatever  firmness  may  be 
necessary  in  dealing  with  the  erring  child.  Petulance  and  hasty 
temper  on  the  part  of  the  parent,  or  ill-considered  rebukes, 
all  tend  to  make  true  repentance  difficult.  For  the  child  to 
be  forced  to  ask  forgiveness  of  the  mother  or  of  God  robs  the 
act  of  all  educative  value.  Teach,  rather,  the  pain  and  hurt 
that  come  from  the  wrong  act.  Appeal  to  the  inner  fund  of 
sympathy  and  good  will  in  every  child's  heart.  Then  suggest 
the  asking  for  forgiveness,  and  the  response  will  usually  come. 
And  when  it  comes  a  real  victory  has  been  won,  for  not  until 
one  feels  that  he  wants  to  he  forgiven  is  he  really  ready  to  pray 
for  forgiveness. 

Even  when  the  child  is  grievously  in  the  wrong  he  needs 
always  to  feel  the  unchanging  quality  of  the  mother's  sympathy 
and  understanding.  Out  of  these  impressions  will  gradually 
but  inevitably  grow  the  comprehension  of  God's  greater  sym- 
pathy and  completer  understanding  and  his  readiness  to  re- 
ceive the  erring  but  repentant  child  into  his  favor. 

Praying  or  "Saying  Prayers" 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  Jiahit  of  prayer  should  be 
established  in  childhood.  This  raises  the  question  of  whether 
the  child  should  be  made  to  pray  when  he  does  not  feel  like  it; 
whether  he  should  pray  from  a  sense  of  duty.  For  habits  come 
only  from  repeated  acts,  and  every  break  in  the  performance 
of  the  act  interferes  with  the  habit.  Yet,  to  pray  from  a  sense 
of  duty  is  a  rather  unsatisfactory  process.  To  pray  because 
he  is  told  he  "ought  to  say  his  prayers"  will  leave  the  small 
worshiper  cold.  You  may  remember  that  Pip,  in  Dickens' 
"Great  Expectations,"  was  forever  being  admonished  by  his 
sister,  "Be  grateful.  Be  grateful."  The  result  was  to  choke 
the  springs  of  gratitude  in  Pip's  heart.  It  is  a  fruitless  thing  to 
compel  a  child  to  say  a  prayer;  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  leave 
him  with  a  prayer  unsaid.     We  come  back  to  the  principle, 


58  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

therefore,  that  the  child  must  be  led  to  want  to  pray.  The 
impulse  which  finds  expression  is  present  in  all  normal  children 
and  needs  but  to  be  freed  by  leading  the  mood  to  the  point 
where  expression  in  prayer  is  the  easy  and  natural  thing. 

While  the  child  is  taught  to  pray  about  everything  that  con- 
cerns him,  and  that  God  is  ready  to  hear  and  answer  his  prayers, 
he  must  be  led  to  see  that  his  prayers  are  not  always  answered 
just  as  he  would  like. 

This  lesson  is  not  difficult  for  the  child  to  grasp,  for  he  some- 
times asks  father  or  mother  for  things  that  are  not  given  him. 
It  is  explained  that  father  or  mother  has  a  good  reason  for  not 
granting  the  request  and  the  child  understands  and  learns  to 
be  contented.  It  rained  on  the  day  of  the  picnic  though  Margaret 
had  trustingly  prayed  the  night  before  for  a  beautiful  day. 
Now  the  picnic  is  spoiled  and  Margaret  is  disappointed.  But 
mother  has  told  her  in  their  talks  how  the  heavenly  Father 
sends  the  rain  to  make  the  green  things  grow.  The  cattle  are 
eating  the  green  grass  in  the  pasture,  which  would  be  brown 
and  bare  were  it  not  for  the  rain.  Farmer  Brown  is  happy 
because  it  is  making  the  wheat  and  corn  grow.  The  people 
and  the  little  children  in  the  hot  cities  are  glad  because  the 
rain  has  cooled  oft"  the  air  which  had  become  hot  and  dry. 
So  Margaret  is  led  to  realize  that  God's  world  is  big  and  that 
many  people  are  needing  some  things  which  Margaret  does 
not  know  about.  She  concludes  that  the  rain  is  making  other 
people  happy.  "We  will  make  the  best  of  it,"  mother  says, 
and  Margaret  is  satisfied. 

Teaching  the  Child  to  Help  Answer  His  Own  Prayers 

Of  the  highest  importance  to  the  child  is  the  lesson  that  we 
must  always  do  our  part  in  having  our  prayers  answered.  The 
Sunday  school  teacher  gave  her  class  this  illustration:  If  you 
should  put  the  little  gift  that  you  are  making  for  mother 
away  in  the  closet,  and  ask  God  to  finish  it  for  you  it  wouldn't 


TEACHING  THE  CHILD  TO  PRAY  59 

be  done.  We  must  do  our  part;  mere  asking  for  something 
is  not  real  prayer.  God  will  help  us  do  what  is  our  task  to  do, 
but  he  will  not  do  our  work  for  us. 

As  the  child  grows  older  he  often  expresses  some  cherished 
desire  or  ambition,  something  he  wants  to  do  when  he  grows 
up.  It  was  Harlan's  great  ambition  to  be  a  football  player. 
Perhaps  father  had  paved  the  way  by  giving  the  lad  a  foot- 
ball when  he  was  a  tiny  chap.  Mother  had  remonstrated  as 
mothers  will  about  football.  But  now  and  then  in  their  talks 
at  bedtime,  mother  and  the  laddie  would  talk  about  football, 
for  mother  felt  she  must  be  interested  in  it  and  care  for  it  too 
if  Laddie  did.  They  would  discuss  the  quahties  of  a  football 
player  and  what  he  should  be  in  everyday  life.  He  must  be 
honest,  he  must  be  brave,  he  must  obey  the  rules  of  the  game, 
he  must  help  others  in  their  play.  Possibly  the  prayer  they 
had  together  with  the  mother  leading  ran  like  this:  "Dear  God, 
help  us  to  be  fair  and  square  with  our  playmates.  Help  us 
to  do  our  best.  Help  us  to  follow  the  Golden  Rule.  Amen." 
Later,  this  lad,  grown  to  high  school  age  attained  his  ambition 
and  was  a  football  player.  Who  can  tell  but  it  was  the  result 
of  those  bedtime  talks  and  prayer  that  led  him  to  post  this 
motto  on  the  wall  of  his  room. 

"Play  the  game; 
Win  if  you  can, 
Lose  if  you  must, 
But  be  a  man!" 

If  from  the  first  the  child  is  taught  to  pray  from  his  own 
thoughts  and  feelings,  the  prayer  is  sure  to  be  spontaneous 
and  natural.  Supplementing  these  may  be,  if  mothers  desire, 
more  formal  prayers  which  are  learned  and  made  a  part 
of  the  prayer-time  expression.  In  teaching  the  formal 
prayer,  its  meaning  should  be  made  clear  and  its  significance 
realized. 


6c  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Forms  of  Prayers  to  be  Used 
It  is  doubtful  whether  the  following  form  of  the  old  prayer 
should  ever  be  used: 

Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 

I  pray  thee,  Lord,  my  soul  to  keep, 

If  I  should  die  before  I  wake, 

I  pray  thee.  Lord,  my  soul  to  take. 

Most  children  either  naturally  fear  death  or  are  easily  made 
to  fear  it  by  unintentional  suggestions.  It  is  the  testimony 
of  many  that  the  line,  "If  I  should  die  before  I  wake,"  proves 
a  real  barb  in  the  tender  sensibiKties  of  childhood.  First  a  dim 
feeling  and  later  a  more  specific  realization  of  the  fact  is  sug- 
gested by  the  sentiment  that  many  die  in  their  sleep  or  else 
we  would  not  pray  about  it.  One  writer  tells  how,  after  say- 
ing this  prayer,  there  usually  followed  the  pathetic  and  spon- 
taneous Httle  petition,  "Heavenly  Father,  do  not  let  me  die 
in  my  sleep." 

A  better  form  of  this  much  used  old  prayer  is  the  following: 

Now  I  lay  me  down  to  .sleep, 
I  pray,  thee.  Lord,  thy  child  to  keep. 
Thy  care  be  with  me  all  the  night 
And  keep  me  safe  till  morning  light. 

While  the  bedtime  hour  with  its  freedom  from  hurry  and  its 
opportunities  to  review  the  day  offers  precious  opportunities, 
the  morning  prayer  should  not  be  neglected.  It  is  worth  much 
to  the  child  to  start  the  day  with  thoughts  of  God  and  a  prayer 
to  him.  If  it  is  possible  for  mother  or  father  to  be  with  the 
child  when  he  awakens,  the  talk  may  turn  to  the  day  ahead 
with  its  plans,  its  play  and  happiness.  The  birds  singing  out- 
side, the  bright  sunshine,  the  dancing  leaves  on  the  trees — 
whatever  is  beautiful  and  attractive  to  the  child  may  be  called 
to  his  attention  to  turn  his  mood  toward  gladness  and  good 
cheer.    Then,  a  little  prayer  led  by  father  or  mother: 


TEACHING  THE  CHILD  TO  PRAY  6i 

Dear  God,  I  thank  thee  for  keeping  me  through 
the  night.  I  thank  thee  for  the  beautiful  day  and  the 
good  time  I  will  have.  Help  me  to  be  good  to-day. 
Amen. 

One  child,  whose  mood  had  been  prepared  by  a  waking  time 
conversation  with  his  mother  spontaneously  prayed  after  this 
fashion: 

Dear  God,  heavenly  Father,  I  am  glad  for  this  happy 
day.  I  am  glad  for  the  drive  to  the  woods  we  are  go- 
ing to  have  to-day.     Thank  you,  God.     Amen. 

Who  will  say  that  a  simple  prayer  such  as  this,  coming  from 
a  heart  that  means  it,  may  not  contain  more  of  the  true  prayer 
snirit  than  many  a  longer  prayer  of  finer  diction  might  have ! 

Growth  in  Prayer 

As  the  child  learns  to  express  love  and  appreciation  to  God, 
they  come  to  have  a  real  part  in  his  Hfe.  He  learns  that  happi- 
ness springs  from  being  unselfish  and  from  doing  Httle  acts  of 
service  for  others.  He  learns  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong.  He  wants  to  be  loved  and  trusted  and  learns  that  he 
must  express  this  love  in  being  kind  to  others  and  in  being 
honest  in  his  little  dealings  with  brothers  and  sisters  or  father 
and  mother.  He  has  found  out  through  experience  that  to 
be  good  and  kind,  to  be  unselfish  and  truthful,  is  not  an  easy 
matter.  He  learns  by  example  and  teaching  that  the  great 
heavenly  Father  hears  his  prayer  and  helps  him  to  be  good 
and  kind,  lo\dng  and  unselfish.  He  learns  that  he  cannot  over- 
come his  little  faults  by  himseh  alone.  He  learns  that  the  great 
heart  of  the  loving  Father  is  ready  to  help  him  in  his  little  trials 
— real,  as  they  are  to  him — if  he  will  do  his  part,  asking  God 
to  help  him,  trying  again  and  again  to  do  his  best. 

The  effects  of  prayer  in  the  Hfe  of  the  child  are  very  deep- 


62  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

seated  and  vital.  As  he  learns  to  express  his  desires  and  appre- 
ciations to  God,  religious  feeling  naturally  grows  and  becomes 
an  increasingly  important  factor  in  his  life.  Through  praying 
that  he  may  be  good  and  unselfish  there  comes  a  clearer  realiza- 
tion of  the  meaning  of  good  behavior  and  of  doing  kindly  service 
for  others.  Through  praying  for  forgiveness  when  he  has  done 
wrong  his  sense  of  right  and  wrong  is  made  more  clear  and  his 
conscience  sharpened.  Hence  through  his  own  prayers  and 
the  prayers  of  his  parents  the  child  comes  to  give  God  a  very 
real  and  important  place  in  his  life.  Without  in  the  least  know- 
ing it  at  the  time  the  child  in  his  prayers  is  setting  before  him- 
self the  ideal  into  which  his  character  should  develop. 

Books  for  mothers: 

Training  the  Devotional  Life,  Weigle  and  Tweedy.  Pub- 
Hshed  by  George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York. 

The  Meaning  of  Prayer,  Harry  Emerson  Fosdick.  Pub- 
lished by  Association  Press,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  VII 

PRAYERS  WHICH  CHILDREN  PRAY 

Spontaneous  prayers  which  spring  directly  out  of  the  child's 
immediate  interests  and  experience  are,  as  suggested  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  undoubtedly  the  best  introduction  to  the 
beginning  prayer  life.  There  are  many  parents,  however,  who 
desire  that  their  children  shall  learn,  and  use  set  prayers  of 
beautiful  form  and  diction.  While  it  is  probably  true  that 
every  person  who  has  the  habit  of  prayer  at  all  prays  many 
spontaneous  prayers,  yet  the  wide  use  of  formal  prayers  by 
large  bodies  of  worshipers  indicates  a  deep-seated  demand 
for  the  more  formal  and  dignified  prayer. 

The  Use  of  Formal  Prayers 

Some  parents  admit  that  they  teach  their  children  to  use 
the  formal  prayers  because  they  are  less  trouble.  It  is  easy 
to  "hear  the  child  say  his  prayers"  if  the  prayer  consists  only 
of  the  repetition  of  a  set  form — much  easier  than  to  take  time 
to  enter  into  such  a  spirit  of  comradeship  with  the  child  that 
a  real  and  sympathetic  participation  in  his  prayer  is  possible. 
At  most,  the  formal  prayer  should  only  supplement  and  not 
supplant  spontaneous  prayers  by  parent  and  child. 

Wherever  formal  prayers  are  used  there  is  danger  that  they 
shall  become  mere  mechanical  repetition  of  words.  Once  the 
words  have  become  thoroughly  familiar  it  is  possible  for  the 
child  to  say  them  off  thoughtlessly — perhaps  even  hurrying 
through  to  have  done  with  it  and  get  to  bed — in  such  a  way 
that  no  real  feeling  or  meaning  accompanies  the  process.  The 
great  problem  with  this  form  of  prayer  is  to  -insure  the  true 
prayer  mood.  This  can  be  done  by  the  mother  repeating  the 
prayer  with  the  child,  slowly  and  reverently  and  with  depth  of 

63 


64  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

meaning.  Occasionally  there  can  be  a  talk  together  in  which  the 
child's  thought  shall  be  led  up  to  such  matters  as  the  prayer  deals 
with.  The  point  is  that  the  formal  prayer  as  well  as  the  sponta- 
neous prayer  must  he  a  true  expression  of  living  thought  and  feeling. 
Children  deHght  in  rhythm  and  in  the  repetition  of  sounds 
such  as  that  of  rimed  words.  Hence  many  of  their  prayers 
have  been  written  in  verse. 

Prayers  for  Evening  Use 

The  following  evening  prayers  are  among  those  that  have 
been  very  generally  used: 

There's  nothing  in  the  world  to  fear, 
For  God  is  love  and  God  is  near; 
I  am  God's  little  child  and  he 
Will  keep  me  safe  as  safe  can  be 

In  work  and  play 

By  night  by  day.^ 

My  Father,  hear  my  prayer 

Before  I  go  to  rest; 
It  is  thy  little  child 

That  cometh  to  be  blest. 

Lord,  help  me  every  day 

To  love  thee  more  and  more; 
And  try  to  do  thy  will 

Much  better  than  before. 

Now  look  upon  me.  Lord, 

Ere  I  lie  down  to  rest; 
It  is  thy  little  child 

That  cometh  to  be  blest.     Amen.^ 


1  Reprinted   by   special  permission  of  John   Martin's   Book,   The  Child's 
Magazine. 

2  From  At  Mother's  Knee,  by  Ozora  S.  Davis.     Published  by  The  Abing- 
don Press. 


PRAYERS  WHICH  CHILDREN  PRAY  65 

Now  I  lay  me  clown  to  sleep, 
I  pray  thee,  Lord,  me  safe  to  keep; 
And  when  the  morning  comes  again 
Please  help  me  to  be  good.     Amen.^ 


Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  thee.  Lord,  thy  child  to  keep; 
Thy  love  be  with  me  all  the  night 
And  keep  me  safe  till  morning  light.^ 

If  in  my  work  or  in  my  play 

I  have  done  any  wrong  to-day. 

Forgive  me  ere  I  sleep  I  pray. 

O  keep  me  safe  in  sleep  this  night 

And  let  me  wake  at  morning  hght 

To  love  thee  more,  and  so  do  right.    Amen.^ 

Morning  Prayers 
More  evening  prayers  than  morning  prayers  have  been  written 
for  children,  possibly  because  of  the  child's  natural  timidity 
and  fear  of  the  dark  with  the  consequent  tendency  to  pray  for 
care  and  protection  through  the  night.  The  following  are 
typical  of  morning  prayers: 

For  this  new  morning  with  its  hght. 
For  rest  and  shelter  of  the  night. 
For  health  and  food,  for  home  and  friends, 
For  everything  thy  goodness  sends 
We  thank  thee,  heavenly  Father.^ 


1  From   Childhood   and   Character,   by   Hugh   Hartshorne.     The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

2  From  Prayers  for  the  Home  and  Sunday    School,  by  Frederica  Beard. 
Used  by  permission  of  George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York. 

=  Ibid. 

''  From  At  Mother's  Knee,  by  Ozora  S.  Davis.     PubHshed  by  The  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York. 


66  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Jesus  keep  me  safe  to-day 
In  my  work  and  in  my  play. 
I  will  try  to  do  and  say 
Only  what  is  right." 

Father  help  me  through  this  day 
In  my  work  and  in  my  play 
Both  to  love  and  to  obey.     Amen.^ 

Jesus  Friend  of  Httle  children 

Be  this  day  a  friend  to  me. 

Take  my  hand  and  surely  keep  me 

Near  and  dear  and  close  to  thee.     Amen.^ 

Lord  bless  thy  little  child  to-day, 
Make  me  good  and  kind,  I  pray.^ 

Grace  at  Meals 

Prayers  at  meal  time,  "asking  a  blessing,"  or  "grace  before 
meat"  is  an  old  and  beautiful  custom.  The  child  should  have 
a  part  in  this,  a  good  plan  being  for  the  family  to  take  turns. 
A  formal  grace  may  be  said,  though  the  child  should  feel  free 
spontaneously  to  express  his  gratitude  for  any  food  which  he 
especially  likes.  '  Annette  illustrated  this  principle  when  she 
added  to  her  customary  grace,  "And  I  am  real  glad  we  are 
going  to  have  chocolate  ice  cream  for  dessert." 

Such  prayers  as  these  may  be  used  for  grace  said  at  meals: 

Thanks  to  our  Father  we  will  bring 

For  he  gives  us  everything. 

— Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 


1  From  At  Mother's  Knee,  by  Ozora  S.  Davis.     Published  by  the  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York. 

2  From  Children's    Devotions,  by  Gerrit  Verkuyl.      By  courtesy  of  West- 
minster Press,  Philadelphia. 

3  Ibid. 

*  From  Prayers  for  Home  and  Sunday  School,  by  Frederica  Beard.     Pub- 
lished by  George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York. 


PRAYERS  WHICH  CHILDREN  PRAY 


67 


It  is  very  nice  to  think 

The  world  is  full  of  meat  and  drink 
With  little  children  saying  grace 

In  every  Christian  kind  of  place. 

— Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 


68  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Dear  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  these  blessings. 
Amen. 

Heavenly  Father,  bless  this  food 
To  thy  glory  and  our  good.     Amen.\ 

God  is  great  and  God  is  good, 
And  we  thank  him  for  this  food, 
By  his  hand  must  all  be  fed, 
Give  us.  Lord,  our  daily  bread.^ 

Dear  Father,  bless  the  food  we  take 
And  bless  us  all  for  Jesus'  sake.     Amen.^ 

Dear  Lord,  we  thank  thee  for  thy  care, 
The  food  we  eat,  the  clothes  we  wear; 
Be  present  with  us  everywhere.     Amen.^ 

Prayers  That  are  Sung 
The  song  prayer  has  the  advantage  of  adding  the  softening 
and  devotional  effect  of  music  to  the  words  of  the  prayer.     When 
the  song  prayer  is  used  it  should  be  kept  truly  a  prayer,  reverent 
and  full  of  meaning. 

1  From  Children's  Devotions,  by  Gerrit  Verkuyl.  Published  by  permis- 
sion of  the  Westminster  Press,  Philadelphia. 

-  From  At  Mother's  Knee,  by  Ozora  S.  Davis.  Published  by  The  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York. 

=  Yvom  Children's  Devotions,  by  Gerrit  Verkuyl.  Published  by  permis- 
sion of  the  Westminster  Press,  Philadelphia.  ^  Ibid. 

Now  I  Wake 

New  England  Primer  (Adapted)  From  Schumann 


Now    I    wake  and    see   the  light;     God  has  kept  me  through  the  night; 
-^    ^.    .«.    .^.     f.    ^    -^    m.     •.    .^.    H*.     «.     ft.    ^   .^.  .^. 

^-ff?-|     I     I     !     f-h- h-^-R— I— ,^f— M^^  fill     h-hH*-HF[— i— f— K*-h-h-h- 


PRAYERS  WHICH  CHILDREN  PRAY 


69 


=l=q=l: 


:t:=t: 


t- 


r 

I     will    lift   my    eyes  and  pray:    Keep  me,  Fa-ther,  through  the  day. 


I 


From  Songs  for  the  Little  Child.      Copyright,  1921,  by  Clara  Belle  Baker. 


A  Grace  at  Table 


Heverenilj 


Words  and  Music  by  Edith  Lovell  Thomas 


-Pr ^  ^^— tiH « z^~ 


start    to      eat    and  drink; 


We     tru 


r 


'i-^^- 


ly     give    our  thanks  to 


9-^.^.^^: 


-, » — 


i^Sili^i^plPBili 


thee      For    all    good  things  we   taste  and     see. 


A 


i  1        I         '^       '^       '^       '>.       P       ^ 


70 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Evening  Song 


;t4 


±zzMz 


-J 4 


ilii^^i^:^!!^ 


1.  Now  the  dark  shad  -  ows 

2.  In      my   wee    bed       I 


fall; 
lie 


Now  the   eve  -  ning   birds     call; 
While  the  moon  climbs  the      sky. 


9ij|E£ 


it: 


I      hear     the    night  breeze   Rus   -  tie       soft      through  the     trees. 
I      pray    you      to      keep,  Dear    Lord,  close      while      I         sleep. 


W& 


y- 


:t: 


:^ 


' ^ r- 

From  Songs  for  the  Little  Child.      Copyright,  ig2i,  by  Clara  Belle  Baker. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  ATMOSPHERE  OF  THE  HOME 

Whatever  other  influences  may  come  to  bear  upon  the 
child,  however  much  instruction  he  may  receive  from  the 
church  and  the  Sunday  school,  no  one  of  these  nor  all  of  them 
together  can  take  the  place  of  the  home  in  grounding  him  in 
religion.     Religion  should  be  caught  before  it  can  be  taught. 

In  disposition,  in  speech,  in  manners  the  child  is  a  product 
of  the  home  environment.  The  quaUties  he  reveals  in  these 
things  are  a  perfect  mirror  of  the  examples  set  and  the  instruc- 
tion given  at  the  fireside,  at  the  table,  and  in  the  family  circle. 
Without  in  the  least  knowing  it  or  intending  to  be  so  the  child 
is  a  Hving  proclamation  to  the  world  of  the  cultural,  the  moral, 
and  the  religious  atmosphere  he  breathes  in  his  home.  For 
he  learns  these  things  by  unconscious  imitation;  he  absorbs 
them,  appropriating  the  good  and  the  bad  alike,  and  building 
them  into  his  character  long  before  he  is  old  enough  to  know 
what  is  happening. 

Like  Home  Like  Child 

For  the  young  child,  especially,  the  home  is  his  world.  He 
takes  on  its  temper  and  tone.  He  adapts  its  attitudes  and 
ideals.  Its  standards  and  practices  become  his  guides.  All 
this  is  inevitable,  for  this  is  the  only  way  the  child,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  his  career,  has  to  learn.  It  is  doubly  true  for  religion, 
which  is  so  essentially  a  part  of  the  very  life.  And  even  at 
this  early  age,  as  we  saw  in  an  earher  chapter,  the  foundations 
of  character  and  personaHty  are  being  laid  and  the  most  last- 
ing impressions  being  made. 

If  the  child  is  to  be  started  right  in  his  religious  develop- 
ment, then,  the  atmosphere  of  the  home  must  be  rehgious. 

71 


72  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

But  what  does  it  mean  to  have  the  atmosphere  of  the  home 
religious?  Certainly  not  that  we  shall  talk  religion,  teach 
religion,  and  preach  rehgion  all  the  time.  It  means,  rather, 
that  we  shall  live  the  joy,  the  peace,  the  good  nature,  the  love 
and  the  helpfulness  which  characterized  the  Christ  life;  that 
we  shall  show  forth  his  spirit  of  kindness,  forbearance,  and 
unselfishness.  It  means  that  we  must  govern  temper  and 
tongue  and  mood,  restraining  the  sharp  word,  quieting  the 
irritated  voice,  softening  the  harsh  manner.  It  means,  in 
short,  that  all  members  of  the  home  shall  Hve  as  constantly 
as  may  be  in  the  presence  of  the  best — the  best  in  thought, 
in  word  and  in  action. 

And  with  all  this  it  means  that  our  own  rehgious  conscious- 
ness must  be  definite,  vital,  and  warm;  for  this  quaHty  will 
shine  from  the  face,  be  reflected  in  the  manner,  express  itself 
in  a  hundred  ways  that  cannot  be  explained  and  are  all  the 
more  effective  for  this  very  reason.  How  many  thousands 
of  men  there  are  who  testify  that  the  most  potent  spiritual 
influence  that  has  come  into  their  lives  was  that  of  a  devoted 
mother  who  had  herself  learned  the  secret  of  the  Way! 

This  principle  works  both  ways.  Speaking  of  personality. 
Dr.  Crane  says:  "A  mother  wonders  why  her  child  is  selfish 
when  her  precepts  and  advice  have  always  been  so  good.  The 
answer  is  that  our  children  are  molded  by  what  we  are,  and 
not  by  the  sound  of  what  we  say.  When  you  live  with  a  per- 
son, child  or  otherwise,  your  words  go  in  time  for  a  Httle.  Your 
flavor  outpreaches  them  constantly.  Deeds  and  words  are 
controlled  by  your  wiU.  But  flavor  is  you.  It  is  your  soul 
flavor  that  always  has  the  last  word  in  the  sum  total  of  your 
influence." 

Perhaps  we  may  say  that  the  religious  quality  of  the  home 
has  made  one  of  its  chief  contributions  to  the  child  when  it 
has  impressed  upon  him  that  religion  is  not  chiefly  a  system  of 
restraints,  but  a  way  of  joyous  living.    Some  one  has  said  that 


THE  ATMOSPHERE  OF  THE  HOME 


73 


"religion  should  be  more  genial."  Jesus  came  that  we  might 
have  more  abundant  life.  When  we  as  parents  have  ourselves 
learned  this  great  truth,  when  we  have  come  to  realize  that 
religion  is  like  a  great  bank  with  unHmited  capital  upon  which 
we  may  draw  for  all  the  finest  things  we  can  express  in  our 
daily  living,  then  we  shall  be  more  fully  equipped  to  provide 
the  spiritual  atmosphere  which  the  child  should  find  in  his  home. 

Keeping  the  Bond  Unbroken 

The  Master  said,  "Except  ye  become  as  Httle  children  ye 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  The  best  way 
for  a  child  to  find  God  is  never  to  have  known  a  moment  of 
separation  from  him.  This  is  the  ideal  way,  and  it  is  possi- 
ble for  all  children  who  are  rightly  led  and  taught.  Many 
adult  Christians  cannot  tell  the  story  of  their  "conversion." 
As  far  back  as  they  can  remember  they  were  surrounded  by 
religious  influences;  they  were  early  taught  to  love  God  and  to 
follow  Jesus.  Their  spiritual  development  has  been  one  of 
gradual  unfoldment,  with  no  necessity  for  reclamation  from  a 
life  of  spiritual  indifference  or  hostility  to  one  of  union  with 
God;  the  bond  which  existed  at  the  beginning  between  the 
heavenly  Father  and  his  child  has  never  been  broken. 

This  point  of  view  is  thoroughly  recognized  by  most  religious 
leaders  of  the  day.  We  no  longer  accept  the  cruel  and  somber 
point  of  view  taught  in  the  older  theologies  that  the  child  is 
born  totally  depraved,  bearing  a  load  of  sin  charged  against 
him  because  of  Adam's  fall.  Most  Protestant  churches  teach 
that  the  child  is  at  the  beginning  God's  child;  that  it  comes 
into  the  world  sinless,  pure  of  heart,  with  life  undefiled.  All 
the  child  needs,  therefore,  is  to  be  led  aright  until  old  enough 
to  follow  the  right  path  of  his  own  accord.  If  this  leading  is 
wise  and  the  child's  response  ready,  there  will  be  no  falling 
away.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  child  will  never  do  wrong 
or,  when  old  enough  to  be  accountable,  will  never  commit  sin. 


74  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

It  means,  rather,  that  the  whole  attitude  of  mind,  the  complete 
bent  of  the  life,  will  be  religious.  It  means  that  the  one  who 
was  at  the  beginning  God's  child  need  never  cease  to  be  such, 
that  conservation  instead  of  conversion  will  be  the  great  end  of 
the  religious  training  of  the  child.  It  suggests  that  religious 
education  instead  of  reclamation  must  be  the  program  of  both 
the  church  and  the  home. 

Yet  what  a  proportion  of  the  energy  of  the  church  must  to- 
day be  given  to  the  work  of  reclaiming  those  who  should  never 
have  been  allowed  to  go  astray!  Evangelistic  campaigns,  preach- 
ing, "personal  work,"  Salvation  Army  programs,  and  many 
other  agencies  are  organized  for  reclaiming  to  a  religious  Hfe 
those  who  ought  not  to  have  departed  from  it.  Probably  more 
than  half  of  our  religious  effort  is  expended  in  bringing  adults 
back  to  the  religious  status  they  occupied  as  children.  What 
a  tragic  waste  of  energy! — and  then  those  who  never  return! 

Worship  in  the  Home 

Great  possibilities,  often  but  little  utilized,  exist  in  the  family 
altar,  the  worship  together  of  father,  mother,  and  children. 
This  period  successfully  carried  out  m  the  morning  tends  to 
give  tone  and  quality  to  the  day. 

Not  always,  however,  is  the  family  worship  hour  well  planned, 
at  least  for  the  children.  Indeed,  there  is  reason  to  believe 
that  in  most  cases  it  is  planned,  not  for  the  children,  who  most 
need  it,  but  for  the  adult  members  of  the  family.  The  prayers 
are  sometimes  long  and  unrelated  to  the  understanding  of 
childhood.  The  Bible  passages  are  not  always  selected  with 
cliildren  in  mind.  Singing,  in  which  the  children  would  de- 
light to  participate,  is  not  always  made  a  part  of  the  exercise. 
The  children  themselves,  always  most  interested  in  and  re- 
sponsive to  what  they  have  an  active  part  in  carrying  out, 
are  commonly  given  no  part  except  that  of  Ksteners. 

One  young  father,  who  is  trying  to  make  the  family-worship 


THE  ATMOSPHERE  OF  THE  HOME  75 

hour  mean  something  to  his  chikh-cn,  thus  tells  of  a  negative 
lesson  he  learned  on  such  matters  when,  as  a  boy,  he  occa- 
sionally visited  in  the  home  of  a  pious  uncle:  ''The  day  was 
one  long  delight,  once  the  family  prayers  were  done.  But  the 
dreadful  half  hour  (it  seemed  an  eternity!)  after  breakfast  was 
looked  forward  to  with  groanings  and  back  upon  with  utter 
thankfulness — that  it  was  over.  My  uncle  read  a  long  chap- 
ter— wholly  unintelligible  to  me,  it  was — in  the  Great  Book. 
Then  came  the  shuffling  of  our  kneeling;  the  small  jockeyings 
for  position  to  find  a  comfortable  place,  or  to  get  next  to  a 
favorite  playmate.  The  long  prayer  began;  it  always  began 
in  the  same  way;  it  ran  on  and  on;  it  told  the  Lord  that  we 
were  all  miserable  sinners,  worms  in  the  dust,  unworthy  his 
mercy;  it  recounted  and  lamented  the  manifold  wickedness  of 
the  day;  it  sought  divine  guidance  for  the  whole  list  of  those 
in  authority  as  rulers  over  us;  it — but  why  go  on?  It  con- 
tained little  or  nothing  that  appealed  to  or  interested  any  one 
of  the  eight  active  boys  and  girls  whose  patience  and  sense  of 
reverence  usually  proved  unequal  to  the  ten-  or  fifteen-minute 
ordeal,  and  whose  sly  pranks  often  began  soon  after  the  prayer 
had  got  well  under  way." 

So  little  did  this  pious  head  of  his  family  understand  child 
nature  and  child  rehgion  that  it  never  occurred  to  him  that 
the  worship  he  conducted  was  not  to  the  children  worship. 
He  seemed  to  think  that  he  had  abundantly  fulfilled  his  obliga- 
tions to  them  spiritually  when  he  had  compelled  them  to  at- 
tend family  worship  each  morning  and  occasionally  reprimanded 
or  punished  some  culprit  detected  in  a  misdemeanor  or  slacken- 
ing of  attention  during  the  exercise.  A  natural  result  from  such 
ill-conceived  programs  as  these  carried  on  in  the  name  of  wor- 
ship is  to  turn  children  against  religion  as  wrongly  interpreted 
to  them  in  such  a  procedure. 

'T  well  recall,"  writes  a  woman  who  now  has  children  of  her 
own,  "how  when  I  was  a  Httle  child  my  thoughts  used  to  wander 


76  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

while  father  in  his  extended  prayer  remembered  the  heathen, 
the  Jews,  the  missionaries  in  the  dark  places  (that  really  sounded 
interesting!),  and  a  long  hst  of  other  personages  and  interests 
which  my  memory  does  not  recall  in  detail.  The  wording 
was  always  the  same,  and  we  children  came  to  know  by  the 
stage  reached  just  how  long  it  would  be  to  the  end.  One  thing 
in  the  prayer  puzzled  me  much  until  I  had  grown  older.  Then 
I  knew  that  father  meant  us  children  when  he  asked  God  that 
his  'house'  might  be  kept  safe  from  the  heinous  powers  of 
darkness  and  free  from  the  ravening  wolves  of  sin  in  an  evil 
and  corrupt  world." 

Bringing  the  Child  into  the  Worship  Program 

In  a  family  where  there  are  children  the  worship  hour  should 
be  planned  principally  for  them.  It  should  be  brief.  To  be 
effective  there  must  be  a  vital  point  of  contact  with  each  young 
life.  The  Bible  reading  should  be  short;  the  passage  will  not 
always  be  fully  within  the  child's  comprehension,  but  it  should 
have  beauty,  majesty,  simplicity.  Instead  of  the  Bible  read- 
ings father  or  mother  should  now  and  then  (with  open  Bible 
before  them)  tell  a  beautiful  Bible  story  in  language  the  child 
can  understand.  The  prayer  should  not  be  long.  It  should 
frequently  mention  each  child  by  name  and  ask  for  God's 
blessing  upon  him. 

The  kindergarten  teacher  was  telHng  the  story  of  "The 
Angelus"  from  the  picture:  how  the  father  and  the  mother 
were  working  out  in  the  field  when  they  heard  the  ringing  of 
a  bell,  which  meant  that  it  was  time  for  prayer.  Father  and 
mother  stopped  their  work,  and  bowed  their  heads  to  pray. 
They  prayed  that  God  would  care  for  the  children  at  home 
while  they  were  away  from  them.  Eagerly,  yet  reverently 
Harold  lifted  up  his  hand  at  this  place  in  the  story  and  said, 
"Miss  Baker,  Miss  Baker,  my  father  prays  for  Florence  and 
me  every  morning."     Who    can  measure  the  influence  of  his 


THE  ATMOSPHERE  OF  THE  HOME  77 

father's  prayers  on  this  child  in  his  later  years!  Not  all  the 
prayer  in  the  morning  devotions  need  be  about  the  children, 
but  the  whole  prayer  should  be  simple,  reverent,  full  of  devo- 
tion and  meaning. 

The  children  themselves  should  have  part  in  the  devotions 
as  soon  as  they  are  old  enough  to  be  taught  how.  Children 
love  to  sing,  and  the  hymns  and  songs  suited  to  their  capacity 
should  be  used  at  least  a  part  of  the  time.  The  child  may 
tell  a  Bible  story,  or  when  old  enough  read  a  few  verses  from 
the  Bible.  He  may  say  the  prayer.  Once  the  principle  is 
adopted  that  the  family  worship  should,  wherever  there  are 
children,  first  of  all  take  into  account  the  needs  of  childhood, 
there  will  then  be  little  trouble  to  give  the  children  parts  suited 
to  them  in  the  exercises  from  day  to  day. 

The  Father's  Influence 

Though  for  the  younger  children  at  least  the  mother  will 
naturally  be  the  most  immediate  influence  upon  the  child  and 
will  have  most  to  do  in  creating  the  atmosphere  of  the  home, 
the  father's  part  is  of  supreme  importance  at  certain  points. 
Unconsciously  the  children  learn  lessons  of  courtesy  and  chivalry 
from  the  attitude  of  the  father  toward  the  mother,  the  little 
attentions  he  pays  her  and  the  opportunities  he  takes  of  help- 
ing her.  Many  a  son  has  had  his  sense  of  responsibihty  quick- 
ened by  his  father's,  "I  must  be  away  from  home  for  a  few  days, 
son,  and  you  must  take  father's  place  and  take  care  of  mother." 

While  there  are  ties  of  peculiar  strength  and  tenderness 
between  the  father  and  daughter,  it  is  perhaps  to  the  son  that 
the  father  should  mean  most  in  the  home.  The  son  will  love 
his  mother,  if  not  better,  at  least  in  a  different  way  from  his 
father.  Yet  he  needs  his  father's  comradeship;  there  should 
be  walks  and  talks  together  when  they  two  are  alone;  play- 
times of  romping  good  fellowship;  sober  conversations  as  "man 
to  man."     The  father  should  become  the  boy's  ideal  ot  man- 


78  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

hood,  the  one  in  whom  he  most  fully  believes  and  whom  he 
most  admires.  There  should  be  increasing  chumship  and 
friends/lip,  such  that  the  lad  will  naturally  and  as  a  matter 
of  course  come  to  his  father  with  his  problems,  sure  that  they 
will  have  a  sympathetic  hearing;  and  such  that  when  he  has 
done  wrong  he  will  tell  father  about  it  confident  that,  while 
father  will  not  approve,  he  will  understand  and  counsel  wisely. 
Why  is  it  that  so  many  children  are  afraid  to  talk  to  their 
fathers? 

The  father's  part  in  the  home  has  been  aptly  expressed  by 
one  father  in  these  words: 

''To  the  nation  and  the  future  world  good  fatherhood  means 
everything.  It  means  that  men  shall  henceforth  think  not 
merely  in  terms  of  'big  business'  but  of  better  human  lives, 
that  they  shall  strive  not  only  to  bequeath  wealth  to  their 
children  after  death,  but  shall  devote  their  lives  to  giving  their 
children  a  treasure  ol  sympathy,  love,  and  guidance. 

"Therefore  I  would  say  to  every  father,  'Know  your  boy. 
Begin  to-day  to  play  with  him,  hike  with  him,  discuss  with 
him,  camp  out  with  him  if  you  possibly  can.  He  needs  you, 
and  you  certainly  need  him.  Don't  let  his  mother  have  all 
the  responsibility  and  all  the  joy  of  parenthood — get  some 
cf  that  joy  yourself.  For  your  boy's  sake,  for  your  own  sake, 
for  your  countrv's  sake,  join  the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Order 
of  Fatherhood!''"^ 

This  is  not  to  be  all  on  the  one  side,  however.  The  children 
should  be  taught  the  little  acts  of  kindness,  service,  and  def- 
erence due  father  and  mother  in  the  home.  To  watch  for 
opportunities  to  run  on  errands  for  them,  to  look  out  for  their 
comfort,  to  give  them  the  best  chair  or  the  best  place  by  the 
reading  lamp — such  commonplace  deeds  as  these  are  the  founda- 


'  Charles  F.  Powleson,  general  secretary  National  Child  Welfare  Associa- 
tion, in  article  published  by  The  National  Kindergarten  Association,  New 
York. 


THE  ATMOSPHERE  OF  THE  HOME  79 

tions  for  true  kindness  and  courtesy.  One  evening  mother, 
sitting  with  Dorothy  and  Robert  before  the  fireplace,  told  the 
story  ''Helping  Father."  The  meaning  of  it  was  not  lost. 
'T  bring  daddy's  slippers  every  single  night,"  asserted  Dorothy. 
"And  I  always  fix  his  chair  for  him,"  claimed  Robert.  Two 
characters  will  be  the  richer  for  this  spirit  of  loving  service; 
perhaps  the  world  will  some  time  be  richer  because  of  the  service 
rendered  by  two  persons  who  in  childhood  learned  that  it  is 
more  blessed  to  give  than  receive. 

Good  Fellowship  and  Courtesy 

The  meal  time  should  be  one  of  the  happiest  times  of  the 
whole  day.  While  reasonable  quiet  and  good  conduct  should, 
of  course,  prevail,  the  spirit  of  good  fellowship  and  good  cheer 
should  characterize  the  occasion.  This  is  not  the  time  for 
fault-finding  or  correcting  misdemeanors.  It  is  in  a  sense 
unfair  to  take  advantage  of  the  forced  assembly  of  the  family 
together  to  reprimand,  rebuke,  or  scold  those  who  have  erred. 
The  meal  time  conversation  should,  at  least  a  part  of  the  time, 
be  upon  such  topics  as  will  interest  and  instruct  the  children. 
Not  only  the  happenings  of  the  neighborhood  and  playground, 
but  also  as  children  grow  older,  the  happenings  of  the  great 
world  outside  should  be  noted  and  commented  upon  in  such 
a  way  as  to  broaden  the  interest  in  people  and  events  and 
to  create  an  ever  increasing  sympathy  for  humanity. 

The  relations  of  the  home  afford  time  and  place  for  teach- 
ing the  graces  of  politeness  and  courtesy.  It  is  easy  for  those 
who  are  daily  associated  with  each  other  to  omit  the  smaller 
courtesies  which  characterize  our  relations  with  strangers  or 
acquaintances.  It  means  much  to  the  children  if  the  practice 
of  the  family  is  always  to  say  a  cordial  "Good  night"  and  a 
cheery  "Good  morning"  to  each  other;  if  mother  is  seated  at 
the  table  by  father,  and  sister  by  father  or  brother;  if  small 
maidens  are  taught  to  courtesy  and  lads  to  shake  hands  and 


8o  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

bow  to  visitors  in  the  home.  All  such  graces  of  kindly  manner 
are  built  into  the  fundamentals  of  character,  and  tact  and 
courtesy  learned  in  this  way  are  but  a  natural  expression  of 
kindness  and  good  will  in  later  life. 

Ownership,  Money,  Spending 
Early  in  his  life  the  child  should  be  taught  something  of 
the  value  of  money.  In  many  families  the  plan  is  to  have  a 
talk  together  when  all  members  of  the  family  are  present  about 
the  family  finances.  Father  explains  to  the  children  in  a  way 
they  can  understand  something  about  the  income  and  expendi- 
tures. It  is  his  opportunity  to  set  forth  the  values  of  worth- 
while saving,  of  spending  judicially,  of  giving  in  the  right  spirit. 
Possibly  the  best  practical  way  to  impart  this  knowledge  is 
to  give  the  child  a  weekly  allowance.  He  should  be  advised 
about  his  spending  it.  From  this  allowance  should  come  his 
contribution  to  Sunday  school  and  other  worthy  causes;  he 
should  be  taught  to  put  some  fraction  of  it  into  his  "bank" 
or  in  a  savings  account.  When  the  child  becomes  of  school  age 
he  may  be  given  lessons  in  thrift  by  having  the  allowance  in- 
creased to  include  the  buying  of  some  article  of  clothing,  for 
instance,  that  of  shoes.  From  time  to  time  this  allowance 
may  be  increased  to  include  the  buying  of  other  articles  of 
clothing,  as  well  as  in  the  giving  to  worthy  causes,  for  his  good 
times  and  for  his  savings  account.  There  are  attractive  account 
books  which  may  be  had  giving  the  various  items  in  spending. 
It  is  a  fine  training  for  a  child  to  form  the  habit  of  nightly 
"keeping  books."  It  trains  to  doing  business  in  a  businesslike 
way  which  is  so  important  to  all  of  us. 

Books  for  mothers: 

Religious  Education  in  the  Family,  Henry  Frederick  Cope. 
Published  by  The  University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago. 

Fathers  and  Mothers,  G.  H.  Betts.  The  Bobbs-Merrill  Com- 
pany, Indianapolis. 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  PLAY-MOTHER 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  being  the  parents  of 
our  children  and  being  parents  to  them.  Physical  parenthood 
we  share  in  common  with  all  creation;  spiritual  parenthood 
belongs  only  to  those  who  have  learned  the  secret  of  comrade- 
ship with  their  children. 

Play  is  one  of  the  best  avenues  to  comradeship  with  child- 
hood. The  mother  who  would  be  the  best  teacher  for  her  child 
must  first  and  always  be  a  good  playfellow.  She  must  under- 
stand the  importance  of  play  and  what  it  means  to  the  young 
life,  so  that  she  will  never  look  upon  play  as  an  inconvenient 
impulse  of  the  young  which  must  be  put  up  with  until  they 
are  old  enough  to  know  better.  She  must  realize  that  play 
makes  possible  the  closest  sympathy  and  understanding  with 
her  child,  and  that  this  relationship  opens  up  the  way  for  the 
teaching  of  the  precious  lessons  she  would  have  the  child  learn 
about  the  things  of  the  spirit. 

The  Comradeship  of  Play 

It  is  not  enough  that  playthings  be  heaped  on  the  child. 
Many  children  who  are  bountifully  supplied  with  the  material 
equipment  for  play  and  have  all  the  heart  could  wish  in  the  way 
of  physical  surroundings  still  lack  that  which  is  infinitely  more 
important — the  close  companionship  and  chumship  of  parents. 
Many  a  father  provides  abundance  of  food  and  fine  clothing, 
with  all  manner  of  means  for  enjoyment  and  then  fails  to  give 
himself  with  his  gifts,  wondering  in  the  end  why  his  boy  lacks 
appreciation  and  does  not  turn  out  well.  The  material  side  of 
parenthood  is  not  to  be  depreciated,  but  it  is,  after  all,  the 

8i 


82  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

spiritual  side,  the  comrade  side,  that  counts  for  most  in  the 
training  of  children.  It  is  an  immeasurable  tragedy  when  the 
parents  are  too  busy  (or  selfish?)  to  play  with  their  children. 

To  the  child  play  is  social  fellowship;  it  is  comradeship.  We 
may  feed  and  clothe  him  and  take  the  best  possible  care  of 
him  when  he  is  ill;  but  he  takes  these  things  for  granted.  What 
are  parents  for  but  to  do  these  things?  It  is  what  we  enjoy 
with  our  child  that  has  the  greatest  influence  upon  him.  To 
play  with  him  brings  us  genuinely,  whole-heartedly  into  the 
closest  relationship  with  him.  In  play  we  show  that  we  care 
for  the  things  he  cares  for,  we  make  him  feel  that  we  are  of 
his  spirit  and  kind  and  therefore  an  important  part  of  his  world 
of  affection  and  interest.  '  Not,  of  course,  that  the  child  ever 
thinks  about  it  in  these  terms,  but  the  impression  is  nevertheless 
definite  and  positive,  as  proved  by  his  ready  response  to  the 
parent-playfellow. 

Nor  is  play  less  important  in  its  influence  on  the  mother 
than  on  her  child.  It  is  the  mother's  pathway  of  approach. 
It  gives  her  a  sympathetic  insight  into  child  nature.  Through 
play  the  mother  lives  in  the  child's  world,  keeps  herself  young 
in  spirit  and  is  capable  of  seeing  things  from  the  child's  view- 
point; she  is  able  to  understand  that  to  the  young,  play  is  the 
only  really  important  thing  in  life. 

Two  small  girls  were  having  a  very  animated  discussion 
over  the  merits  of  their  respective  mothers.  Mary  Louise 
clinched  her  side  of  the  argument  finally  by  saying,  "Well, 
my  mother  is  the  best  play-mother,  anyway!"  And  Katherine 
answered,  lamely,  "My  mother  is  too  busy  ever  to  play."  Which 
is  rather  a  sad  commentary  on  the  business  of  being  a  mother. 

The  Child  Must  Play 

Play  is  imperative  for  the  child.  Not  only  does  nature  make 
it  impossible  for  the  child  to  do  other  than  to  desire  to  play, 
but  play  is  necessary  to  all  normal  development.    Play  means 


THE  PLAY-MOTHER 


S3 


happiness,  and  no  child  can  grow  up  as  he  should  without  a 
large  measure  of  happiness  in  his  youthful  experience.     Child- 


PLAVIXG  BALL  WITH  DADDY 


hood  and  happiness  are  two  words  that  should  be  indissolubly 
linked  together,  and  play  is  the  connecting  link  between  them. 


84  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Says  Karl  Groos:  "Perhaps  the  very  existence  of  youth  is  due 
in  part  to  the  necessity  for  play;  the  animal  does  not  play 
because  he  is  young,  but  he  is  young  because  he  must  play." 

Another  writer  says:  "Play  is  a  constant  factor  in  all  grades 
of  animal  life.  The  swarming  insects,  the  playful  kitten,  the 
frisking  lambs,  the  racing  colt,  the  darting  swallows,  the  mad- 
dening aggregation  of  blackbirds — these  are  but  illustrations 
of  the  common  impulse  of  all  the  animal  world  to  play.  Wher- 
ever freedom  and  happiness  reside,  there  play  is  found;  wher- 
ever play  is  lacking,  there  the  curse  has  fallen  and  sadness  and 
oppression  reign.  Play  is  the  natural  role  in  the  paradise  of 
youth;  it  is  childhood's  chief  occupation.  To  toil  without 
play,  places  man  on  a  level  with  the  beasts  of  burden." 

Healthy  physical  development  depends  on  play.  The  muscles 
need  exercise;  the  brain  cells  need  practice  in  coordinating 
movements  to  effect  harmony  of  bodily  action;  every  organ 
and  tissue  requires  physical  activity  in  order  to  healthy  growth 
and  normal  functioning.  The  child  may  be  climbing  up  and 
down  his  play  ladder  all  for  fun,  but  nature  knew  what  she 
was  about  when  she  gave  him  the  impulse  to  climb. 

Not  less  so  in  the  mental  and  moral  realms.  Play  requires 
alertness;  it  trains  attention  and  stimulates  the  imagination; 
it  trains  to  patience  and  persistence;  it  accustoms  the  child 
to  the  glow  of  victory  and  the  lesson  of  defeat;  it  develops 
consideration  for  others  and  teaches  adjustment  to  rules  and 
obedience;  it  presents  the  demand  for  fair  play,  generosity, 
helpfulness.  It  occupies  the  mind  and  hands  with  innocent, 
stimulating  activity,  encourages  good  nature,  and  builds  for 
cheerful  disposition  and  character. 

Play  to  be  Governed  by  the  Needs  of  the  Child 

The  mother  is  the  child's  first  playfellow.  The  child  must 
not,  however,  be  made  a  plaything.  Adults  often  play  with 
children  for  their  own  amusement,  not  for  the  happiness  and 


THE  PLAY-MOTHER  85 

satisfaction  of  the  child.  Much  of  the  tickhng,  the  bouncing, 
the  unnecessary  handhng  and  jouncing  imposed  on  young 
children  is  not  play  for  them,  but  hardship  and  sometimes 
torture.  Says  the  Mothercraft  Manual:  "The  adult  very  often 
desires  to  amuse  children  not  primarily  for  their  benefit  but 
for  his  own  pleasure  in  watching  them  with  their  toys  and 
participating  with  them;  he  or  she  needs  a  training  in  self- 
control  and  a  deeper  understanding  of  child  nature  that  he 
may  come  to  find  as  keen  satisfaction  in  standing  aside  and 
watching  the  child's  self-development,  bringing  forward  his 
own  personality  only  where  it  will  be  of  educational  or  of  social 
value." 

The  principle  is,  then,  clear:  Play  with  the  child  is  primarily 
for  the  benefit  of  the  child.  The  mother,  permeated  with  the 
play  spirit,  helps  the  child  develop  under  her  wise  direction 
through  every  avenue  of  his  new  being.  She  remembers  that 
it  is  not  her  own  activity  that  develops  the  child,  but  the  re- 
sponse of  the  child  to  his  playthings  or  to  his  playfellow. 

In  order  that  the  young  child  shall  learn  to  lift  up  his  head, 
to  use  his  arms,  to  walk — in  short,  to  do  the  thousand  and  one 
things  that  will  make  him  an  independent  piece  of  human 
mechanism,  he  must  begin  early  to  develop  himself.  He  does 
so  through  the  bodily  movements  of  kicking,  stretching,  grasp- 
ing, and  the  like.  If  left  to  himself,  he  will  perform  these  func- 
tions without  instruction.  Yet  the  wise  mother  can  do  much 
to  aid  the  child  in  his  development  by  the  simple  little  play 
exercises  that  have  been  prepared  for  this  purpose.  Froebel 
first  put  these  exercises  into  the  form  of  play,  with  their  quaint 
rhythm  and  simple  rimes.  Since  his  time  a  number  of  educators 
have  modernized  and  adapted  them  for  child  training.  Through 
such  exercises  the  child  gets  development  as  well  as  pleasure. 

For  example,  it  is  quite  an  achievement  when  in  the  play, 
"Here's  a  Ball  for  Baby,"  the  child  is  able  to  control  the  move- 
ment of  his  arms  and  bring  his  fists  together  right.     Even  in 


86  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

so  simple  a  play  as  "Patty-Cake"  there  is  going  on  along  with 
the  enjoyment  of  it  very  effective  training  of  the  motor  mechan- 
ism of  brain,  arms,  and  hands.  In  different  finger  plays  the 
child  exercises  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand  as  well  as  his  right 
and  so  does  not  leave  this  important  member  without  training. 
The  singing  of  the  little  rimes  with  the  plays  adds  to  their 
pleasure  and  tends  to  cultivate  the  child's  innate  sense  of  rhythm. 
The  Mother  Goose  rimes  and  other  simple  melodies  afford  an 
outlet  for  the  early  musical  sense.  Best  of  all,  these  little 
games  and  plays  bring  out  the  fun  spirit  of  the  child  and  keep 
him  and  the  fun-maker  in  close  and  sympathetic  touch  with 
each  other. 

Playthings  and  Their  Use 

As  soon  as  the  baby  is  old  enough  to  notice  and  grasp  them 
he  should  have  simple  playthings — a  hard-rubber  rattle,  a 
rubber  ring  that  can  be  grasped  on  opposite  sides  by  the  two 
hands,  a  spoon  with  which  to  pound,  and  so  on. 

It  is  best  not  to  give  the  baby  too  many  playthings  at  one 
time,  or  those  of  too  much  variety.  He  becomes  bewildered 
and  turns  from  one  thing  to  another,  not  satisfied  with  any 
one  thing  very  long  at  a  time.  In  time  he  forms  the  mental 
trait  of  expecting  too  much  from  his  surroundings  or  from 
those  around  him.  Anyone  who  has  watched  a  child  do  the 
same  thing  over  and  over  with  a  few  simple  articles  under- 
stands and  realizes  the  value  to  the  child.  Given  a  pan  of 
bran,  a  spoon,  and  a  wide-mouthed  bottle,  two-year-old  Marjorie 
fills  and  empties  the  jar  a  dozen  times  before  the  interest  wanes. 
Three-year-old  Bruce  builds  houses  and  towers  only  to  knock 
them  over  and  build  them  up  again  and  again. 

The  mother  should  be  alert,  and  when  she  notices  that  the 
child  has  become  tired  of  one  set  of  playthings  remove  them  and 
give  him  a  complete  change.  This  method  is  much  better 
than  having  a  great  many  things  around  him  at  one  time. 


THE  PLAY-MOTHER  87 

An  illustration  of  the  effect  of  too  many  playthings  is  given  by 
a  kindergarten  teacher:  With  the  multipHcity  of  toys  which 
Marion's  parents  and  grandparents  had  heaped  upon  her  she 
became  a  very  disturbing  element  in  the  kindergarten.  She 
would  come  to  school  carrying  all  sorts  of  playthings,  a  doll, 
a  teddy  bear,  an  elephant  in  her  arms  and  pockets.  Not  only 
were  the  playthings  a  distraction  to  the  others,  but  the  great- 
est difficulty  came  with  herself — her  inabihty  to  concentrate 
in  the  play  activity  with  the  class,  although  the  playthings 
had  been  removed  from  sight.  Her  mind  had  become  accus- 
tomed to  flitting;  she  had  been  amused  too  much.  With  a 
few  playthings  the  child  learns  the  fine  art  of  resourcefulness, 
one  of  the  greatest  products  of  play  and  an  important  element 
in  character. 

Sympathy  Toward  the  Child's  Activity 

As  the  baby  passes  over  into  childhood  activity  is  the  watch- 
word of  his  development.  He  must  be  doing  something  every 
moment,  not  so  much  to  accomplish  any  particular  ends  as 
just  to  be  doing.  Adults  are  wearied  at  the  mere  contempla- 
tion of  his  ceaseless  activity. 

The  young  mind  is  as  active  as  the  body.  Imitation  is  at 
its  height.  Curiosity  is  keen,  and  question  after  question  comes 
pouring  from  the  babbling  tongue  in  a  perfect  torrent.  At 
this  stage  perhaps  almost  more  than  any  other  the  child  may 
strain  the  nerves  of  careworn  or  thoughtless  mothers.  Yet 
it  is  the  wise  mother  who,  understanding  the  laws  of  the  child's 
being,  patiently  answers  his  questions  as  best  she  can.  It  was 
George  William's  first  ride  on  the  elevated  train  in  the  hour's 
ride  to  the  city.  "What  for  are  we  up  so  high,  mother?"  "Where 
is  the  engine  for  the  cars?"  "Who  makes  the  cars  go?"  "Can 
I  see  him  make  the  cars  go?"  and  so  on  for  block  after  block 
and  stop  after  stop.  All  was  new  to  the  eager  eyes  and  all 
stimulating  to  the  alert  mind.     At  the  end  of  the  hour  the 


88  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

mother's  face  still  wore  its  accustomed  smile  as  she  said, 
quietly,  "We  are  in  the  city  now,  Laddie,  with  more  things 
to  see." 

A  woman  sitting  near  stepped  up  to  my  friend  and  said, 
"I  cannot  keep  from  telling  you  how  much  I  admired  you  for 
the  beautiful  and  painstaking  way  you  answered  your  child's 
questions  without  the  least  trace  of  impatience." 

"That  is  the  only  way  for  the  lad  to  find  out  about  some 
things,  and  I  wish  him  to  come  to  me  or  his  father  with  all  of 
his  questions,"  the  mother  replied. 

Happy  lad,  with  so  understanding  a  mother! 

Children  sometimes  break  their  playthings;  they  pull  them 
to  pieces;  they  take  them  apart;  they  smash  them.  The  child 
needs  to  learn  to  save,  to  protect,  and  to  care  for  what  is  his. 
Yet  we  must  remember  that  most  of  what  looks  to  be  sheer 
destruction  is  really  but  obedience  to  curiosity  demanding 
to  know  how  things  are  made,  how  they  are  put  together,  what 
makes  the  wheels  go  round,  and  so  on.  Edna  Dean  had  been 
given  a  little  music  box  for  a  Christmas  present.  She  played 
the  tunes  again  and  again.  It  captivated  her.  What  made 
the  music?  Why  should  the  turning  of  the  handle  bring  about 
such  beautiful  sounds?  The  spirit  of  investigation  took  hold 
of  her  and  with  eagerness  she  pried  off  the  tin  cover.  At  this 
moment  father  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  without  question- 
ing the  cause  for  such  destructiveness  he  punished  the  child 
rather  severely.  Sobbingly  she  told  him  her  reasons.  .  .  .  The 
father  realized  he  had  made  a  mistake  and  was  big  and  generous 
enough  to  ask  his  child's  pardon.  And  in  the  talk  that  fol- 
lowed little  Edna  Dean  was  made  to  feel  that  she  might  come 
to  father  with  all  her  questions  and  with  all  the  things  that 
puzzled  her  and  father  would  answer  her  the  best  he  could. 
This  hour  of  confidence  made  a  lasting  impression  upon  the 
child,  and  the  comradeship  between  them  was  always  beau- 
tiful to  see. 


THE  PLAY-MOTHER  89 

Father  Joins  the  Game 

One  remedy  for  the  spirit  of  destruction  is  to  give  the  child 
simple  toys  that  have  strong  powers  of  resistance.  Another, 
and  a  better  one,  is  to  satisfy  the  spirit  of  curiosity  and  of  con- 
struction at  the  same  time  by  helping  the  child  make  things. 
At  first  father  makes  the  httle  toy  while  baby  watches;  later 
the  child  himself  wants  a  part  in  the  making,  and  then  it  is 
father's  task  to  help  him,  but  leaving  to  the  child  the  joy  of 
creating  the  thing  his  mind  has  pictured.  The  truly  under- 
standing father  will  see  that  his  young  son  has  a  small  hammer, 
some  nails  of  suitable  size,  soft  blocks  of  wood,  and  whatever 
else  is  necessary  to  make  the  boats,  kites,  engines,  etc.,  which 
are  dear  to  childish  hearts. 

Toys  of  simple  sort  and  home  made  toys  are  far  preferable 
to  the  over-finished  pieces  of  mechanism  mistakenly  provided 
in  many  of  the  shops.  The  too-elaborate  mechanical  toy  leaves 
no  room  for  the  child's  imagination  and  the  spirit  of  make- 
believe.  Everything  is  so  complete  that  notliing  is  left  for  the 
fancy  to  play  upon.  The  vivid-minded  youngster  can  make 
a  perfectly  wonderful  train  of  cars  out  of  a  row  of  blocks  or  a 
string  of  chairs  run  together.  He  himself  sitting  at  the  head 
of  the  train  choo-chooing  and  hissing  is  the  most  wonderful 
engine  that  could  be  provided. 

The  Play  Spirit  in  Government  of  Children 

The  play  spirit  can  do  much  to  simplify  government  in  the 
home.  True,  children  must  learn  to  obey,  but  often  the  ques- 
tion of  obedience  need  not  come  up  nor  a  clash  of  wills  be  brought 
about.  Timothy  does  not  like  to  go  to  bed;  in  fact,  he  fairly 
hates  the  thought  of  it.  He  is  always  offering  one  pretext  or 
another  for  staying  up  just  a  little  bit  longer.  Father  says 
to  the  lad,  "I  can  beat  Tim  upstairs,"  and  he  starts.  But 
Timothy  darts  in  ahead  and  is  first  at  the  top.     After  all,  a 


90  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

boy  doesn't  so  much  mind  going  to  bed  if  he  can  only  beat  his 
father  in  doing  it  and  have  a  good  time  about  it  instead  of 
beino;  scolded   and  senL      In  another  home  father  or  mother 


A  HOME-MADE  SLIDE  IS  A  GOOD  INVESTMENT 

remarks,  "Time  to  climb  the  wooden  hill,"  and  a  two-  or  three- 
minute  game  is  played  and  the  children  go  to  bed  happy  and 
satisfied. 


THE  PLAY-MOTHER  91 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  some  time  is  required  to  plan  and 
carry  out  play  comradeship  in  the  home,  yet  there  is  recom- 
pense. Mrs.  H.  is  the  mother  of  four  small  children  besides 
being  substitute  mother  for  several  children  of  the  neighbor- 
hood who  are  motherless  a  great  part  of  the  time  during  the 
''bridge"  season.  It  had  rained  every  day  for  a  week  and  the 
joint  resourcefulness  of  mother  and  children  had  become  nearly 
exhausted.  One  afternoon  mother  said,  "Children,  let's  have 
a  tea  party  and  play  we  are  grown  up  folks."  In  the  preparation 
and  the  play  most  of  the  afternoon  was  consumed.  Several 
neighbors'  children  as  well  as  her  own  spent  a  very  happy 
time.  That  night  on  going  to  bed,  Ruth  said,  "Mother,  I  am 
so  glad  you  like  to  stay  at  home;  and  you  do  always  think  of 
the  loveliest  things  to  do!" 

For  the  Mother  Who  Has  Not  Learned  to  Play 

Some  mothers  feel  that  they  do  not  know  how  to  play  success- 
fully with  their  children.  They  may  even  feel  that  they  do 
not  have  time  to  read  one  of  the  many  helpful  books  on  child- 
hood, and  especially  on  the  play  Hfe,  which  is  so  essential. 
Two  hours  a  week  will  give  the  mother  suggestions  and  plans 
that  will  enable  her  to  keep  ahead  of  her  child's  play  program. 
For  example,  suppose  it  is  the  book,  Play  Life  in  the  First  Eight 
Years}  One  mother  takes  a  sweeping  glance  through  the 
book  and  says,  "That's  all  very  well  for  the  mother  who  has 
the  time,"  and  with  a  sigh  closes  the  book  and  lays  it  down. 
But  the  resourceful  mother  who  is  just  as  busy  as  the  other 
picks  it  up  with  the  thought,  "I  wonder  what  the  author  would 
recommend  for  children  the  age  of  five  and  eight."  "Father 
could  make  a  simple  slide  like  that,"  is  her  mental  comment 
at  one  point,  and  she  sets  about  securing  some  piece  of  ap- 
paratus or  a  plaything.     She  finds  in  the  end  that  it  is  time 


1  Luella  A.  Palmer,  Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston. 


92  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

gained,  for  the  children  are  playing  by  themselves  while  she 
is  using  her  time  to  do  something  for  herself.  Also  she  is  happy 
because  the  child  is  happy  and  she  is  a  better  mother  because 
of  it. 

And  with  all  this  the  religious  development  of  the  child  is 
bound  up.  For  no  small  part  of  a  truly  religious  life  depends 
on  the  right  attitude  toward  living — on  happiness  of  outlook, 
on  cheerfulness  and  good  nature,  on  comradeship  and  respon- 
siveness, on  wealth  of  affection  and  good  will.  The  better 
attitude  the  child  has  toward  these  things  the  better  soil  will 
his  mind  and  soul  present  for  God's  truths,  especially  if  he 
sees  these  truths  exemplified  constantly  in  the  spirit  and  life 
of  those  nearest  to  him. 

Those  parents  who  have  become  the  true  playfellows  of  their 
children  have  qualified  on  the  first  great  requirement  for  the 
spiritual  leadership  of  the  young. 

Books  for  mothers: 

The  Mother  as  a  Playfellow,  and  How  One  Real  Mother 
Lives  With  Her  Children,  American  Home  Series.  Pub- 
lished by  The  Abingdon  Press. 

Training  Little  Children,  Bulletin  No.  39,  1919.  Published 
by  the  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Education  by  Plays  and  Games,  George  Ellsworth  Johnson, 
Published  by  Ginn  &  Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Boston. 

Play  Life  in  the  First  Eight  Years,  Luella  A.  Palmer.  Pub- 
Ushed  by  Ginn  &  Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Boston. 

Manual  of  Play,  William  Byron  Forbush.  Published  by 
George  W.  Jacobs  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 


CHAPTER  X 
MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS 

Mother  and  father  should  be  the  baby's  first  playfellows. 
The  little  play  times  with  the  parent  not  only  interest  and 
educate  the  child,  giving  him  invaluable  resources  of  good 
nature  and  enjoyment,  but  they  also  serve  to  form  the  bond 
of  comradeship  which  means  so  much  both  to  parents  and 
children. 

From  time  immemorial  plays  such  as  are  given  in  this  chap- 
ter have  been  taught  to  children.  They  belong  to  no  one  nation 
or  people,  but  spring  up  spontaneously  in  all  lands.  They  are 
to  the  young  child  what  school  lessons  are  to  older  ones.  They 
stimulate  imagination,  invite  thought,  and  appeal  to  the  sense 
of  humor.  They  encourage  mental  activity  and  alertness. 
They  equip  the  child  to  amuse  himself,  and  introduce  him 
to  play  with  other  children.  On  the  physical  side  they  develop 
flexibility  of  fingers,  and  train  to  muscular  control  of  the  body. 
When  sung,  they  develop  the  sense  of  rhythm.  But  perhaps 
best  of  all  they  yield  wholesome  fun,  add  to  happiness,  and  so 
lay  the  foundations  for  cheerfulness,  good  nature,  and  a  cheerful 
and  responsive  disposition  and  character. 

Old  Folk  Plays 

Finger-and-toe  plays  exist  in  almost  endless  variety.  They 
are  to  be  found  both  with  and  without  rhythm.  Many  of  them 
lend  themselves  well  to  the  singing  of  a  simple  melody  accom- 
panying the  play. 

Creeping  Mousie:    The  mother  makes  a  slow  creeping  move- 

93 


94 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


ment  of  the  first  two  fingers,  advancing  the  hand  slowly  at 
the  same  tnne  from  a  little  distance  up  to  baby's  chin. 
Patty  Cake:   (To  be  sung  or  recited.) 


--N- 


^^'- 


— N- 


Pat   -  ty    cake,  pat  -  ty    cake  bak  -  er's    man,      Make  us       a 


as      fast     as     you     can;        Pat      it      and    pick      it      and 


\-^-— 


.0.       .0.       .0.        9  •  » 


mark  with    a      T.      Toss    in     the    ov  -  en    for    ba  -  by     and  me. 


A  Pig  Story}  The  mother  wiggles  each  of  baby's  toes 
in  succession,  and  puts  appropriate  expression  into  the 
voice. 


This    big     pig      went    to     mar-ket;     This   one  stayed  at    home; 

-r-\ 


::|^^:. 


H 1 * *- 

0.       .0. 


q=^ 


m 


This  one  wants  some  corn;    This  one  says  it's  gone;      This    one   cries, 


-tr-r 


1=^=-^ 


--N 


r-i- 


Zii- 


-^— 


"Wee      wee      wee 


I    wish      my     mara  -  my    were    home." 


'  From  Mother  Goose  Finger  Plays,  selected  and  adapted  by  Irene  Mar- 
garet CuUison.  Used  throvigh  courtesy  of  George  W.  Jacobs  &  Co.,  Phila- 
delphia. 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  95 

This  little  pig  stubbed  his  toe; 
This  Uttle  pig  said  "Oh"! 
This  little  pig  laughed  and  was  glad; 
This  little  pig  cried  and  was  sad; 
This  little  pig  ran  and  picked  him  up 
As  fast  as  he  could  go. 

Finger-and-head  play:  Plays  like  the  one  that  follows,  while 
they  seem  pure  nonsense,  teach  the  baby  the  parts  of  his  body 
while  giving  him  fun. 

Eye  winker  (Point  to  eye), 
Tom  Tinker  (Point  to  other  eye), 
Nose  dropper  (Point  to  nose), 
Mouth  eater  (Point  to  mouth), 
Chin  chopper,  chin  chopper. 
Chin  chopper  chin  (Chuckle  chin). 

(From  Mother  Goose  Finger  Plays.) 

Ring  the  bell  (Pull  lock  of  hair), 

Knock  at  the  door  (Tap  the  forehead), 

Peek  in  (Pull  eye  lash), 

Pull  up  the  latch  (Pull  nose). 

Open  the  door  (Pull  down  on  the  chin  so  the  mouth  opens) 

And  walk  in. 

The  hand:  This  play  suggests  to  the  child  something  of  the 
family  relationship,  and  enables  him  to  see  himself  as  one  of 
the  group. 

This  is  the  mother  so  kind  and  dear  (Thumb), 
This  is  the  father  so  full  of  cheer  (Pointer), 
This  is  the  brother  so  strong  and  tall  (Tall  finger), 
This  is  the  sister  who  loves  us  all  (Ring  finger), 
This  is  the  baby  the  pet  of  all  (Little  finger). 

(From  Mother  Goose  Finger  Plays.) 


96  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

All  for  Baby^ 

Here's  a  ball  for  Baby  Here's  the  Baby's  trumpet, 

Big  and  soft  and  round!  Toot- toot-toot!  too-too! 

Here  is  Baby's  hammer —  Here's  the  way  that  Baby 

O,  how  he  can  pound!  Plays  at  "Peep-a-boo!" 

Here  is  Baby's  music —  Here's  a  big  umbrella — 

Clapping,  clapping  so!  Keep  the  Baby  dry! 

Here  are  Baby's  soldiers.  Here's  the  Baby's  cradle 

Standing  in  a  row!  Rock-a-baby-by ! 

Father  and  Baby  Plays 

Old  folk-plays  have  not  omitted  the  father  from  the  baby's 
playtime,  though  naturally  more  material  has  developed  from 
the  mother's  closer  association  with  the  child. 

The  father  dances  Baby  up  and  down  on  his  knee: 

Dance  to  your  daddy.  You  shall  have  a  fishy. 

My  little  baby;  In  a  little  dishy; 

Dance  to  your  daddy.  You  shall  have  a  fishy 

My  little  lamb.  When  the  boat  comes  in. 

(From  Mother  Goose  Finger  Plays.) 

While  riding  on  father's  foot- — 

Ride  a  cock  horse  to  Banbury  cross, 
To  see  an  old  lady  upon  a  white  horse; 
Rings  on  her  fingers,  bells  on  her  toes, 
And  so  she  makes  music  wherever  she  goes.^ 


^  By  Emilie  Poulsson,  to  be  found  with  music  and  suggested  action  pic- 
tures in  Finger  Plays,  published  by  Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston. 

2  For  music  see  Our  Old  Nursery  Rhymes,  harmonized  by  Moflfat,  pub- 
lished by  David  McKay,  Philadelphia. 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS 


97 


RIDING  ON  FATHER'S  FOOT 
A  variation  of  the  ride  on  father's  foot  may  be  sung  as  follows 
No.  1.  The  pony  walking  slowly 


1 


SE^^^e 


t=F= 


i 


Oh    walk,  walk,  walk,  my      po     -    -    ny,     oh    walk,  walk,  walk. 
No.  2.  The  pony  galloping  with  swinging  motion 

-4-: 


q=  = 


t- 


:S=1: 


^=3ll 


ir-#: 


d :N-Ht 


fe 


5=* 


i 


Oh  come  and  ride  my   po     -    ny  and   gallop     and  gallop      a  -  way. 
No.  3.  The  pony  trotting — more  of  the  jerking  motion 


Oh  trot  trot  trot,  oh  trot  trot  trot,  my   po  -  ny,  oh  trot  trot, trot  trot, trot. 


98  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Emilib  Poulsson 
With  marked  rhythm 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS 
A  Jolly  Ride 


99 


Thbrbsa  H.  Garrison 


^^^: 


1.-3.  The    ba  -  by   goes   rid-ing     a  -  way  and     a -way- Goes  rid-ing    to 


1^ 


i^— •: 


-1\— ^ — b^- 


:^*^=^ 


^-=4^ 


-=l-=i- 


-N-^-k^— 


^— " 


-N— *- 


S- 


1^ 


:^— H^J=P= 


— • 

^•^ — ^ 


t-- 


A— Is 


hear  what  the  cat  has  to  say;  "Me -ow!". .  says  the  cat. 
hear  what  the  dog  has  to  say;  "Bow-wow!"  says  the  dog. 
hear  what  the   cow  has    to    say;  "Moo-oo!". .    says  the    cow. 


-N— ^- 


'^^=1^?= 


I^tZt 


It 


r — ^ — ^, 
-^^ — I — I- 


P 


-\ — fv- 


-H^^- 


m 


-^-^- 


Pictures,   words,  and   music  taken  from  Emille  Poulsson's  Father  and  Baby 
Plays,  by  permission  of  the  Publishers,  The  Century  Co.,  New  York. 

The  baby  goes  riding — away  and  away! 
Goes  riding  to  hear  what  the  sheep  has  to  say. 
"Baa,  baa!"   says  the  sheep. 

The  baby  goes  riding — away  and  away! 
Goes  riding  to  hear  what  the  pig  has  to  say. 
"Umph,  umph!"  says  the  pig. 


lOO 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


The  baby  goes  riding — away  and  away! 
Goes  riding  to  hear  what  the  hen  has  to  say. 
"Cluck,  cluck!"  says  the  hen. 

The  baby  goes  riding — away  and  away! 
Goes  riding  to  hear  what  the  chicks  have  to  say. 
"Peep,  peep!"  say  the  chicks. 

The  baby  goes  riding — away  and  away! 
Goes  riding  to  hear  what  the  duck  has  to  say, 
"Quack,  quack!"  says  the  duck. 


Beaji  Porridge  Hot 


Beanporridge  hot,  bean  porridge  colli;  Bean  porridge  in  the  pot  nine  days  old, 

— 3 — I — » m — r-J — » » — f--' — » B fi — M — S — m — ' 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS 


lOI 


:i^ 


3^=?-£t.=3^ 


S 


Some  like  it  liot,  some  like  it  cold;  Some  like  it    in  the  pot  nine  days  old. 


Mother  or  father  and  child  sitting  opposite  each  other  play 
and  sing  the  game  according  to  directions:  i.  Clap  hands  on 
knees.  2.  Clap  own  hands  together.  3.  Clap  hands  with 
partner.  4.  Clap  hands  on  knees.  5.  Clap  own  hands  together. 
6.  Clap  hands  with  partner.  7.  Clap  own  hands  together. 
8.  Clap  right  hand  with  partner's  right.  9.  Clap  own  hands  to- 
gether. 10.  Clap  left  hand  with  partner's  left.  1 1 .  Clap  hands  on 
knees.    1 2 .  Clap  own  hands  together.  1 3 .  Clap  hands  with  partner. 

Shadow  Pictures 

In  the  evening  hour  after  supper  the  making  of  shadow  pic- 
tures affords  a  happy  pastime  for  little  children.  At  first  father 
or  mother  makes  the  shadow  pictures,  but  it  is  not  very  long 
before  the  little  child  too  is  trying  to  make  them. 

The  following  shadow  pictures  were  taken  from  the  collec- 
tion, Shadow  Pictures  My  Children  Love  to  Make,  used  by 
permission  of  the  publisher,  Lloyd  Adams  Noble,  New  York. 


Suggestions:  To  make  the  picture  of  a  wolf  the  three  fingers  of  the  left 


I02  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

hand  which  cast  the  shadow  that  represents  the  nose  must  be  held  almost 
one  behind  the  other — not  one  above  the  other.  In  this  way  the  palm  of  the 
hand  is  held  practically  parallel  with  the  floor.  If  you  will  then  just  touch 
the  tip  of  the  index  finger  of  your  right  hand  to  the  middle  joint  of  the  long, 
second  finger  of  your  left  hand,  the  wolf's  eye  can  easily  be  made.  Stretch 
the  thumb  of  the  right  hand  forward,  and  bend  the  index  finger  of  the  left 
hand  backward. 


Suggestions:  If  you  should  ever  want  to  make  a  shadow-picture  turn  in 
the  opposite  direction  from  which  it  is  drawn  on  these  pages,  you  have  only 
to  use  your  right  hand  where  the  left  is  marked,  and  the  left  where  the  right 
is  marked.  Just  compare  the  rabbit  on  the  cover  with  the  rabbit  on  this 
page!  See  how  easy  it  is!  Now  by  changing  the  positions  of  the  shadow- 
pictures  so  that  they  will  face  one  another,  you  can  have  two  or  three  little 
children  all  making  pictures  together  with  you.  Let  your  rabbit  shut  his  eye, 
move  his  front  paws,  and  wave  his  ears. 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS 


103 


Suggestions:  It  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  you  to  use  both  hands  in  build- 
ing up  a  shadow-picture  man.  A  cardboard  may  be  cut  in  almost  any  shape 
to  form  a  hat,  and  held  in  the  lelt  hand  where  the  fingers  will  make  the  nose 
and  the  mouth.  If  you  will  then  hold  your  right  hand  a  little  farther  from 
the  light  than  you  are  holding  your  left,  a  smaller  shadow  will  be  cast,  and 
the  man  will  have  a  hand  of  his  own.  Now  let  him  scratch  his  nose,  lift  a 
glass  to  his  lips,  or  use  his  hands  in  whatever  way  you  will! 


Note. — A  number  of  "finger  plays,"  such  as  "The  Merry- 
Little  Men"  (about  the  ten  fingers),  "The  Lambs,"  "The  Pigs," 
will  be  found  in  the  collection  known  as  the  Finger  Plays,  by 
Emilie  Poulsson.  Many  other  plays,  such  as  jumping,  climb- 
ing, "pick-a-back,"  floor  rompings,  etc.,  are  suitable  for  this 
age.  An  excellent  list  with  full  directions  is  to  be  found  in 
Father  and  Baby  Plays,  by  Emilie  Poulsson. 


I04         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Books  on  mother-  and  father-plays: 

Mother  Goose  Finger  Plays,  selected  and  adapted  by  Irene 

Margaret  CuUison.     Published   by   George   W.   Jacobs   & 

Co.,  Philadelphia. 
Finger  Plays,  by  Emilie  Poulsson.     Published  by  Lothrop, 

Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston. 
Father  and  Baby  Plays,  by  Emilie  Poulsson.     Published  by 

The  Century  Co.,  New  York  City. 
Shadow  Plays  My  Children  Love  to  Make.     Published  by 

Lloyd  Adams  Noble,  New  York  City. 

Playthings 

Play  presupposes  playthings,  and  the  baby's  playthings  are 
of  real  educational  value.  Besides  amusing  the  child,  toys 
develop  and  train  him,  and  should  be  selected  with  both  pur- 
poses in  mind.  The  grasping,  reaching,  pulling,  kicking,  chasing, 
and  banging  carried  on  in  connection  with  suitable  playthings 
cultivate  the  senses,  develop  the  idea  of  distance,  direction, 
color,  size,  and  form,  and  teach  the  eyes,  ears,  hands,  feet, 
and  other  parts  of  the  body  to  work  together. 

The  baby  should  therefore  have  playthings.  The  first  play- 
things should,  of  course,  be  simple,  but  they  should  represent 
a  considerable  range  of  qualities  such  as  are  capable  of  appeal- 
ing to  the  eye,  to  the  ear,  to  the  sense  of  touch,  temperature, 
and  so  on. 

For  the  first  two  years  the  child  distinguishes  but  little  among 
colors,  though  the  color  sense  is  developing.  Brightness,  how- 
ever, attracts  the  eye,  and  playthings  that  glisten  are  noticed. 
Bright  objects  suspended  before  the  child  induce  reaching, 
thus  leading  to  muscular  control  and  tending  to  develop  sense 
of  distance  and  direction.  Rattles  encourage  activity  of  the 
hands  and  arms  and  appeal  to  the  ear.  Balls,  rubber  and 
celluloid,  induce  activity,  encourage  the  fingers  to  grasp  and 
train  the  sense  of  contact  and  form.      Objects  that  are  hard, 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  105 

soft,  cold,  warm,  smooth,  rough,  h'ght,  heavy,  all  are  referred 
to  the  appropriate  senses  and  serve  to  develop  the  power  of 
discrimination.  Much  interest  will  center  at  this  stage  in  a 
ball  on  a  string  tied  to  the  foot  of  the  crib,  and  reaching  and 
pulling  will  follow.  A  newspaper  suspended  above  the  child's 
feet  will  induce  kicking.  The  baby  also  likes  the  sound  it 
makes.  A  nest  of  small  boxes  provides  for  much  activity  and 
experimentation  in  putting  one  inside  another.  Other  desirable 
playthings  for  this  age  are  small  unbreakable  dolls,  blocks, 
wooden  clothes  pins,  objects  to  pound,  such  as  a  tin  spoon  and 
dish,  a  bunch  of  keys,  a  string  of  spools. 

After  the  age  of  two  the  range  and  complexity  of  toys  should 
be  increased  as  the  child's  powers  develop  and  his  interest 
broadens.  From  two  to  six  or  seven  years  the  following  play- 
things exert  a  strong  appeal: 

Blocks  of  varying  sizes,  shapes,  and  materials;^  the  enlarged 
(kindergarten)  beads;  rubber  balls;  indoor  baseball  and  junior 
sized  football  or  basket  ball  for  outdoor  playing;  bright-colored 
bean  bags;  drums,  engine,  cars,  and  railway;  various  types 
of  dolls,  as  wax,  china,  rag,  paper,  corn  ear,  yarn,  bottle,  the 
''Raleigh,"  the  "Schoenhut";  blackboard  and  crayons;  simple 
drawing  materials;  paints  and  brushes;  scrapbooks;  blunt 
scissors;  doll  houses  and  furniture  (home  made  if  possible); 
miniature  household  articles,  such  as  toy  brooms,  carpet  sweepers, 
fiat  irons,  and  laundry  utensils;  dishes  and  tea  sets;  clay  for 
modeling;  nursery  sand  tables;  outdoor  sand  pile,  with  shovels, 
iron  spoons,  and  pails;  carts,  wagons,  and  wheelbarrows;  see- 
saw; outdoor  playhouse;  apparatus  for  climbing;  the  slide; 
Montessori  materials;  circus  toys;  tinker  toys;  hammer,  small 
nails  and  board;  trapeze  about  four  feet  high  with  a  sand  pile 
or  freshly  spaded  earth  beneath;  punching  bag;  kites,  boats. 

Scientific  child  study  has  taught  us  that  in  the  child's  growth 

1  The  Hill  Kindergarten  Floor  Blocks  (A.  Schocnhut  Company,  Phila- 
delphia), are  recommended. 


io6  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

the  larger  muscles  develop  first.  That  is,  the  muscles  of  the 
legs,  arms  and  trunk  are  ready  for  use  and  brought  under  con- 
trol before  the  finer  muscles  of  the  hands,  the  fingers,  the  eyes, 
etc.  Similarly,  the  larger  movements  of  the  hands,  fingers, 
eyes  are  the  ones  first  perfected,  the  finer  adjustments  coming 
later. 

For  this  reason  the  larger  kindergarten  blocks  and  pegs 
known  as  the  "enlarged  blocks"  (three-inch  cubes),  and  the 
"enlarged  pegs"  are  better  for  the  child  than  the  smaller  sizes 
formerly  used.  Great  strain  is  put  upon  the  child's  eye  and 
nervous  system  in  trying  to  put  a  very  small  peg  in  a  very  small 
hole. 

Muscular  control  is  gained  more  readily  by  trying  to  grasp 
and  handle  the  block  of  fair  size  than  it  is  in  the  little  inch  cube 
that  defies  the  child  by  tumbling  over  just  when  he  thought 
it  was  in  place.  Likewise,  it  may  be  said  here  that  the  sewing 
cards  and  paper  weaving  should  be  used  sparingly  by  the  very 
little  child,  as  the  concentration  of  eye  and  the  delicate  finger 
control  required  are  a  tax  upon  the  nerves. 

Approved  blocks,  pegs,  beads,  etc.,  may  be  procured  from 
the  different  supply  houses  that  carry  the  kindergarten  materials. 

A  doll  is  always  a  source  of  pleasure  to  the  small  child.  In 
the  earlier  stages  of  childhood  the  doll  is  as  appropriate  for 
the  little  lad  as  well  as  for  the  wee  maiden,  for  he  enjoys  it, 
and  from  it  he  may  learn  gentleness  and  kindness.  To  children 
dolls  are  real  persons.  At  the  age  of  two  and  three  years  the 
child  is  very  imitative.  The  doll  is  the  child's  baby,  and  the 
love  and  tenderness  or  the  cross  and  harsh  ways  of  the  real 
mother  very  readily  find  expression  in  the  mimic  world  when 
the  child  plays  with  her  doll.  The  way  children  feel  and  act 
toward  their  dolls  is  what  they  most  largely  feel  and  are  them- 
selves. Doll-playing  is  therefore  educative.  It  is  a  fine  means 
of  cultivating  the  imagination,  the  emotions,  and  the  whole 
range  of  the  social  nature. 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  107 

The  real  play-mother  will  enter  into  the  spirit  of  childhood 
with  its  dolls  and  all  the  activities  that  are  so  real  to  the  child. 
In  "keeping  house,"  or  ''giving  a  tea  party,"  she  will  herself  be 
a  child. 

"Araminta  has  a  cold  and  cannot  go  out  to-day,"  Betty  says. 

"I  am  so  sorry  to  hear  that  dolly  is  sick.  How  do  you  sup- 
pose Araminta  took  cold?"  mother  asks,  very  much  concerned, 
and  with  all  the  real  sympathy  that  is  possible  to  put  into 
her  voice. 

"Well,  you  see,  yesterday  when  we  were  going  for  a  walk 
Araminta  disobeyed  me  and  walked  right  through  a  big  mud 
puddle  as  big  as  this  room." 

Again,  at  the  tea  party  the  little  cakes  taste  so  "d'lish-us." 
They  may  be  real  crackers  or  they  may  be  pieces  of  cardboard 
or  paper.  But  they  must  be  real  food  to  the  imagination. 
Besides  enjoying  the  play,  the  play-mother  sees  herself  incarnate 
in  the  small  imitator;  many  are  the  suggestions  that  may  in 
this  way  come  to  her  as  to  teaching  the  child  lessons  in  house- 
wifeliness,  in  table  manners,  and  in  all  the  little  kindly  ways 
that  she  wishes  this  little  actor  to  play  with  her  doll  children. 

In  the  earlier  days  dolls  were  stiff  and  formal  in  their  make-up. 
The  china  and  the  wax  ones  were  too  pretty  to  be  played  with 
except  on  very  state  occasions.  Now  there  are  many  unbreak- 
able dolls  that  are  a  real  joy.  Children  love  and  get  so  much 
pleasure  out  of  the  rag  dolls,  the  corncob  dolls,  the  character 
dolls,  that  it  is  an  easy  matter  for  a  real  mother  to  enjoy  the 
make-believe  play.  The  child  should  have  a  doll  that  can  be 
dressed  and  undressed.  In  learning  to  button  and  unbutton 
these  little  garments  he  develops  skill  which  will  help  him 
when  he  has  to  do  these  things  for  himself.  A  cord  or  yarn 
doll  is  easily  made  as  follows:^  Wind  cord  or  yarn  around  a 
book  or  piece  of  cardboard  several  hundred  times.     Remove 

1  From  The  Mother  as  a  Playfellow,  by  Alberta  Munkres.  Published  by 
The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 


io8  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

from  book  or  cardboard.  Slip  a  string  through  the  loop  and 
tie  the  strands  at  one  end;  cut  the  strings  at  the  other  end  of 
the  loop.  About  an  inch  from  the  end  that  is  tied  bind  all  of 
the  strands  with  another  string.  Cut  and  braid  together  a 
number  of  strands  of  cord  for  the  arms.  Slip  this  braid  through 
the  doll  where  the  string  is  tied  around,  allowing  about  two 
inches  to  hang  on  each  side.  Another  string  is  tied  around 
the  waist.    Beads  are  used  for  eyes. 

Directions  for  making  doll  out  of  two  paper  bags  for  head 
and  body,  and  crepe  paper  for  dress  and  bonnet.  Length  about 
13  inches:  Head.  A  bag  7  X3^  inches  (No.  i);  Mark  features 
of  face  on  flat  side  of  one  half  of  the  bag;  fill  this  half  with  torn 
paper;  tie  around  with  string;  other  half  insert  into  other  bag, 
foraiing  the  neck  where  they  join.  Body.  A  bag  9x5  (No.  4) 
fill  with  torn  paper;  graduate  size  to  the  top  for  neck;  tie  two 
bags  where  they  join  for  the  neck.  Arms.  A  piece  of  paper, 
13  X  6  folded  lengthwise  to  make  a  strip  i  inch  wide  when 
finished;  at  center  of  back  of  neck  place  center  of  long  strip, 
bring  around  and  cross  in  front;  each  extension  at  side  forms 
an  arm.  Tie  securely;  cover  arms  with  crepe  paper  5  inches 
square  for  sleeves,  paste.  Dress.  A  rectangular  piece  of  crepe 
paper  20  x  10  inches;  make  slits  for  arms  about  i^  inches  from 
top  of  paper  and  about  4  inches  from  each  side  edge  of  paper; 
gather  about  i  inch  from  top  around  the  neck.  Bonnet.  A 
rectangular  piece  15x9;  one  lengthwise  edge  is  turned  back 
i^  inches  for  the  frill — like  a  Dutch  cap.  Gather  the  other 
lengthwise  edge  around  the  neck.  Tie  securely.  Necktie.  All 
joinings  are  made  at  the  neck.  To  cover  take  strip  of  crepe 
paper  18  x  i;  put  around  the  neck  and  tie  in  front. 

Many  little  imaginative  plays  may  be  entered  into  by  mother 
and  child.  Edward  likes  to  play  he  is  the  policeman,  the  milk- 
man, and  the  postman.  The  floor  has  playthings  strewn  on  the 
floor.  Edward  stands  in  the  middle.  He  sees  a  lady  standing 
on  the  other  side  of  the  street  (one  side  of  the  room),  looking 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  109 

as  if  she  would  like  to  cross.  Edward  goes  up  to  her  and  says, 
"Do  you  wish  to  cross  the  street?  I  will  help  you  across." 
Mother  taking  Edward's  hand,  "Oh  thank  you,  Mr.  Police- 
man. You  are  very  kind."  Again  in  the  "play"  the  blocks 
are  built  to  form  a  schoolhouse.  Chairs  facing  opposite  direc- 
tions are  passing  automobiles.  Edward  as  a  policeman  raises 
his  hand;  the  chairs  are  pushed  back  and  forward  to  allow  a 
passage  way  for  the  school  children  (mother  and  brothers  and 
sisters  or  other  children).  The  child  should  not  be  given  any 
other  thought  than  that  the  policeman  is  their  friend. 

Children  like  to  play  store.  Charles  arranges  playthings 
to  sell  which  may  be  household  articles  he  has  seen  mother 
buy.  Toy  or  paper  money  may  be  used.  Besides  the  play 
in  imagination,  the  child  can  receive  lessons  in  numbers. 

Sometimes  the  play  is  about  the  postman,  and  when  the 
child  learns  to  write  "mother,"  he  has  made  wonderful  steps 
in  his  mental  progress.  Sometimes  the  play  is  about  the  milk- 
man and  the  child  learns  the  various  denominations  in  the 
sizes  of  bottles.  In  all  these  plays  mother  enters  heartily  into 
the  game  which  seems  real  to  the  child  and  which  increases 
his  ability  in  impersonation  and  imagination. 

Bean  bags  afford  a  great  deal  of  fun  in  the  different  games 
that  can  be  played  with  them.  These  bags  may  be  made  in 
the  different  spectrum  colors  from  cloth  or  knitted  or  crocheted 
yarn  procurable  from  kindergarten  supply  houses.  Ten  cents' 
worth  of  yarn  will  be  enough  to  make  a  bag.  For  each  bag 
knit  or  crochet  two  four-inch  squares  or  two  circles  four  inches 
in  diameter.  Fasten  these  two  squares  or  circles  together 
to  make  the  bag. 

Houses  from  which  supplies  may  be  ordered: 

Milton  Bradley  Company,  Springfield,  Massachusetts  (kinder- 
garten supplies).  Branches  in  Boston,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Atlanta,  San  Francisco. 


no  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  A.  Schoenhut  Company,  Philadelphia  (toys,  games,  etc.). 
The  Prang  Educational  Company  (kindergarten  supplies,  etc.). 
Children's  Book  Shops  in  all  large  cities. 

Indoor  Plays  and  Games 

The  child  from  three  to  six  years  is  amazingly  active.  From 
morning  until  night  he  is  never  still  unless  asleep.  The  adult 
is  wearied  by  the  mere  contemplation  of  the  endless  round  of 
running,  jumping,  climbing,  playing,  and  all  the  rest,  which 
he  keeps  up  almost  without  cessation.  But  nature  knows  what 
she  is  about.  The  child's  growing  muscles  and  organs  and  his 
expanding  mind  need  just  this  thing.  His  stored-up  energy 
requires  an  outlet.  His  expanding  imagination  needs  to  find 
expression  in  action.  His  power  of  imitation,  now  at  its  height, 
needs  to  test  and  perfect  itself  through  much  practice.  In 
short,  the  child's  chief  business  now  is  to  play,  grow,  and  be 
happy. 

Of  course  the  best  place  to  play  is  out  of  doors,  yet  there 
are  the  evenings  and  the  stormy  days  and  the  other  times 
when,  for  one  reason  or  another,  the  child  must  be  in  the  house. 
True,  the  house  may  now  and  then  suffer  from  the  children's 
play.  But  suppose  it  does!  No  house  is  fit  for  a  home  if  it 
is  too  fine  for  the  children  to  play  in  it. 

The  following  plays  are  suitable  for  indoor  house  use.  Only 
a  few  out  of  the  many  which  are  available  are  given  here;  with 
music  they  are  much  more  enjoyable: 

Running  quietly  as  a  mouse,  on  tiptoe,  so  quietly  that  mother 
cannot  hear  the  child  as  he  passes  from  room  to  room. 

Hopping  like  a  robin  or  other  bird.  This  affords  an  incentive 
to  study  birds. 

Flying  like  a  bird,  with  arms  outstretched  and  feet  but  lightly 
touching  the  floor. 

Skipping  to  music,  forward,  sideways,  backward,  fairy  skip 
on  tiptoe,  high  stepping.     This  is  not  only  enjoyable  but  it 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  in 

cultivates   the   sense   of   rhythm   and   develops   bodily   control 
and  poise. 

Stepping  head  up,  shoulders  straight,  regular  movement. 

Playing  horse  astride  a  light  stick,  walking,  trotting,  galloping, 
high  stepping.  While  this  is  more  properly  an  outdoor  play 
it  may  be  allowed  in  the  house  occasionally.  The  play  of  imag- 
ination in  this  exercise  is  perhaps  interesting  to  the  child  as 
the  activity  itself.    Playing  a  "hobby"  horse. 

Jumping  with  both  feet  over  a  stick  or  a  pillow  on  the  floor. 

Walking  on  a  line,  one  foot  ahead  of  the  other;  tiptoe,  keep- 
ing body  balanced  with  outstretched  arms.  This  is  excellent 
to  develop  body  carriage. 

Choo-chooing  like  an  engine,  while  running  with  short,  quick 
steps. 

Picking  apples  from  an  imaginary  tree  by  stretching  arms 
up,  grasping  an  apple  and  putting  it  into  an  imaginary  basket. 

Twirling  the  hands  rapidly  like  a  wheel  going  round. 

Twirling  the  arms  out,  up,  back,  down,  like  wheels.  If  this 
order  is  followed,  the  movement  is  excellent  for  chest  develop- 
ment. 

Ringing  the  church  hell,  stretching  far  up  to  take  hold  of  the 
rope,  holding  a  ball  in  two  hands,  then  pulling  far  down. 
Ding  dong  bell  high  in  the  steeple 
Calls  to  church  all  the  people, 
Ding  dong,  ding  dong. 
Ding  dong  bell. 

Clap  hands  in  front,  back,  above  the  head,  first  slowly,  then 
quickly. 

Some  suggestions  from  Dr.  Montessori  in  connection  with 
Physical  Exercises  for  Children.^ 

I.  Hang  a  heavy  swinging  ball  from  ceiling.  Two  children 
sit  in  their  chairs  opposite  each  other  and  push  the  ball  back 

1  Quoted  from  The  Mother  as  a  Playfellow,  by  Alberta  Munkres.  Pub- 
lished by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 


112  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

and  forth.     This  is  an  exercise  for  strengthening  the  arms  and 
spinal  column. 

2.  Draw  a  chalk  line  on  the  floor  or  extend  a  piece  of  white 
tape  for  ten  or  twelve  feet  for  a  child  to  walk  on.  This  amuse- 
ment is  valuable  in  improving  the  carriage  of  the  body. 

3.  Walking  upon  the  edge  of  a  plank  supported  by  standards 
is  a  training  in  bodily  balance,  and  it  also  develops  courage. 

4.  Jumping  is  good  for  developing  strength  in  the  legs  and 
judgment  in  coordinating  the  movements.  Have  a  little  flight 
of  steps  in  the  nursery  or  use  boxes  of  different  heights  for  this 
purpose. 

5.  Lines  may  be  chalked  on  the  floor  to  measure  the  child's 
jumps.  Jumping  in  and  out  of  a  circle  is  another  simple  game 
that  children  enjoy.  Several  circles  are  drawn  inside  the  other. 
The  child  stands  in  the  center  and  tries  to  see  how  far  he  can 
jump.    Color  in  these  circles  adds  to  the  child's  pleasure. 

6.  Simple  pieces  of  apparatus,  such  as  the  "fence,"  the  rope 
ladder,  the  swing,  strengthen  the  hand  in  clasping  and  holding. 
The  rhythmic  games  in  marching,  the  ball,  bean  bags,  hoops, 
and  games  of  tag  are  valuable. 

Bean  bags  afford  an  almost  endless  variety  of  games  suitable 
for  indoor  use. 

Bean-Bag  Games 

1.  Place  on  the  floor  a  piece  of  paper  about  8  x  10.  Have 
the  three-year-old  child  stand  about  five  feet  away.  The  object 
is  to  see  how  many  of  the  six  bean  bags  he  can  throw  on  to 
the  paper  or  touching  it.  If  more  than  one  child,  it  may  be  a 
little  contest  game.  In  place  of  using  a  paper  the  children 
may  throw  into  a  waste  basket  or  a  dish  or  pan. 

2.  Draw  three  concentric  circles  on  the  floor,  marked  i,  2, 
and  3  respectively.  After  the  child  has  tossed  the  bags,  count 
the  points  he  has  made. 

3.  Hide  the  bags  around  the  room  and  have  a  game  of  find- 


MOTHER-  AND  FATHER-PLAYS  113 

ing  them.     Let  the  child  and  the  parent  take  turns  in  hiding 
and  finding. 

4.  Play  catch. 

5.  If  the  bags  are  made  in  spectrum  colors,  arrange  them  in 
Order  of  the  spectrum — violet,  indigo,  blue,  green,  yellow, 
orange,  and  red.  Then  the  child  shuts  his  eyes;  the  mother 
removes  one;  on  opening  his  eyes  the  child  tells  what  one  was 
removed. 

6.  Mix  the  bags  in  a  pile.  Ask  child  to  arrange  them  in  order 
of  spectrum  colors. 

7.  Walking  on  a  line  carrying  a  bean  bag  on  the  head. 

8.  A  game  like  ten  pins.  Take  six  pieces  of  stiff  paper  10  x  12 
and  roll  like  a  cylinder.  Stand  them  on  the  floor  like  ten  pins. 
Child  sits  a  number  of  feet  away  and  rolls  the  ball  against  them. 
Each  one  thrown  down  counts  2. 

Books  for  mothers: 

Play  Life  in  the  First  Eight  Years,  by  Luella  A.  Palmer. 

Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston. 
Education  by  Plays  and  Games,  by  George  Ellsworth  Johnson. 

Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston. 
Manual  of  Play,  by  William  Byron  Forbush.     George  W. 

Jacobs  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 


CHAPTER  XI 
TEACHING  THROUGH  PICTURES  AND  STORIES 

Pictures,  stories,  and  songs  are  three  magic  keys  to  the 
mind  and  heart  of  a  child.  "Show  me  the  picture,"  "Tell  me 
a  story,"  "Sing  to  me" — these  are  the  universal  appeals  of 
childhood,  no  matter  what  the  clime,  condition,  or  language. 
Rightly  used  they  are  invaluable  not  only  to  interest  and  in- 
struct the  child  but  to  create  first  moral  and  religious  impressions. 

The  Language  of  Pictures 

Next  to  objects  themselves  the  child  loves  pictures.  Many 
babies  a  year  old  enjoy  them.  The  taste  for  good  pictures 
may  have  its  beginning  in  babyhood,  for  taste  grows  by  what 
it  feeds  upon.  It  is  said  of  John  Ruskin  that  as  a  child  he  was 
never  allowed  to  look  upon  anything  that  was  not  good  art. 
With  all  the  wealth  of  good  pictures  available  it  is  a  pity  to 
allow  the  child's  taste  to  be  formed  by  the  comic  supplement 
of  the  Sunday  newspaper,  with  its  ugly  and  vulgar  drawings 
and  the  wrong  impressions  many  of  these  convey  through 
holding  up  to  ridicule  subjects  which  should  receive  veneration 
and  respect. 

Through  pictures  the  child  may  get  many  of  his  first  con- 
tacts with  the  outside  world.  Here  he  may  learn  of  the  dog, 
"Bow-wow,"  or  the  cow,  "Moo-moo."  If  he  has  his  own  pet 
dog  or  is  familiar  with  the  sight  of  cows,  he  at  least,  besides 
learning  to  use  pictures,  sees  known  objects  in  new  or  idealized 
form,  and  his  ideas  are  broadened  and  his  interest  quickened 
concerning  them.  As  the  imagination  quickens,  the  picture 
of  people  and  places  unlike  these  of  his  immediate  experience 

114 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  115 

helps  broaden  his  ideas  and  lead  his  thought  out  beyond  the 
near  at  hand. 

Impressions  are  more  easily  conveyed  through  pictures  than 
through  words.  "Jesus  Blessing  the  Children,"  "Samuel  at 
Prayer,"  "The  Worshipers  in  The  Angelus" — such  pictures 
make  a  lasting  even  if  unconscious  impression  upon  the  plastic 
mind. 

One  young  man  testifies  concerning  the  influence  of  a  picture: 
"Farther  back  than  I  can  recall,  my  mother  had  placed  the 
Hofmann  head  of  'The  Christ-Boy'  in  such  a  position  on  the 
wall  of  my  room  that  my  eyes  rested  upon  it  the  last  thing  as 
I  went  to  sleep  and  the  first  thing  when  I  awakened  in  the 
morning.  For  many  of  my  earlier  years  I  thought  nothing 
about  it,  perhaps  did  not  consciously  observe  it,  but  by  the 
time  I  had  reached  my  teens  I  began  to  notice  that  I  found 
myself  asking  what  this  Lad  would  do  or  what  he  would  think 
about  some  act  or  project  I  had  in  mind.  I  believe  that  this 
picture  had  a  great  influence  on  my  childhood  life." 

The  first  pictures  for  the  child  should  be  simple.  That  is, 
they  should  portray  but  few  objects,  preferably  of  familiar  type, 
and  should  not  bewilder  by  too  great  complexity  of  detail. 
Since  at  this  age  the  eye  has  not  yet  learned  to  accommodate 
itself  to  anything  minute,  the  objects  represented  should  be 
of  good  size.  The  animal  picture  books  that  have  a  page-sized 
horse  or  cow  are  of  the  right  type  for  the  younger  child. 

It  is  better  to  have  the  first  picture  books  of  cloth.  For  this  is 
the  age  at  which  the  child  has  an  insatiable  desire  to  put  every- 
thing into  the  mouth,  and  he  is  likely  to  devour  his  paper  books 
altogether  too  literally.  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin  tells  of  her  own 
babyhood,  "I  believe  I  always  had  a  taste  for  books,  but  I 
will  pass  over  that  early  period  when  I  manifested  it  by  carry- 
ing them  to  my  mouth  and  endeavored  to  assimilate  them  by 
the  cramming  process."  The  picture  book  which  will  not  tear 
not  only  does  away  with  the  danger  of  the  book's  destruction, 


ii6 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


but  it  saves  the  child  from  forming  the  habit  of  tearing  books 
— a  very  real  problem  with  many  children. 

Picture  Story-Telling 

For  the  younger  children  pictures  and  stories  naturally  go 
together.  The  story  helps  the  child's  imagination  to  play  around 
the  subject  of  the  picture,  and  the  picture  serves  to  give  reality 
and  warmth  to  the  words  of  the  story. 


THE  PICTURE  AND  STORY  BOOK  YIELDS 
UNTOLD  HAPPINESS  TO  CHILDHOOD 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  117 

Picture  story-telling  should  begin  by  the  end  of  the  first  year. 
The  animal  picture  book  makes  a  good  starting  point.  With 
the  picture  before  the  child,  mother  may  tell  about  the  cow; 
what  the  cow  says,  what  the  cow  eats  when  it  is  hungry,  the 
milk  the  cow  gives  to  feed  baby.  So  on  with  the  horse,  the 
dog,  birds,  etc.  The  simple  little  comments  and  explanations 
the  mother  makes  upon  the  picture  are,  if  well  handled,  a 
"story"  to  the  child.  Questions  may  also  be  asked  of  the  child 
to  suggest  points  he  should  notice  or  ideas  he  should  get.  It 
is  possible  also  that  mothers  who  have  never  learned  the  art 
of  story-telling  will  lind  the  picture  story  a  means  of  making 
their  own  training  keep  pace  with  the  child's  development 
toward  the  more  complete  type  of  story. 

Nursery  Rimes  Illustrated 
Nursery  rimes  and  jingles  of  the  Mother  Goose  variety, 
and  many  others,  all  minister  to  the  child's  demand  for  story 
and  play.  It  would  be  impossible  to  measure  the  sum  total 
of  happiness,  good  nature,  and  development  that  have  come 
to  Httle  children  by  the  dear  old  classic: 

This  Httle  pig  went  to  market, 

This  little  pig  stayed  at  home; 

This  little  pig  had  roast  beef, 

This  little  pig  had  none. 

And  this  little  pig  cried: 

"Wee,  wee,  wee!"  all  the  way  home. 

The  child  who  does  not  have  an  edition  of  Mother  Goose 
with  good  pictures  of  artistic  coloring  has  missed  much  jolly 
fun  and  hence  some  real  happiness.  The  proof  of  the  child's 
response  is  in  the  appreciative  chuckle  or  the  hearty  laugh  as 
mother  recites  while  the  child  looks  at  the  pictures: 

Hey!  diddle,  diddle. 
The  cat  and  the  fiddle, 
The  cow  jumped  over  the  moon; 


ii8         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  little  dog  laughed 
To  see  such  sport 
While  the  dish  ran  away  with  the  spoon. 

Besides  the  element  of  humor  these  jingles  meet  the  require- 
ments of  childhood  in  other  ways:  they  are  short,  and  do  not 
overtax  the  attention  of  the  little  child  who  can  not  sustain 
one  idea  for  any  length  of  time.  The  children  like  the  rime 
and  the  jingle.  They  appeal  to  the  sense  of  rhythm  which  is 
innate  in  every  child  and  needs  only  to  be  cultivated;  as,  for 
example,  in  the  old  favorite: 

Humpty  Dumpty  sat  on  a  wall, 

Humpty  Dumpty  had  a  great  fall; 

Not  all  the  King's  horses,  nor  all  the  King's  men 

Could  set  Humpty  Dumpty  up  again. 

Or  in  this: 

Dickory,  dickory,  dock, 
The  mouse  ran  up  the  clock; 
The  clock  struck  one 
And  down  he  run, 
Dickory,  dickory,  dock. 

Children's  Love  of  Old  Folk  Tales 

The  child  mind  must  busy  itself  with  something  the  same 
as  the  grown  mind.  The  child's  thought-stream  never  stops 
any  more  than  does  the  adult's.  A  generous  supply  of  the  old 
nonsense  rimes  which  generations  of  children  have  known 
and  loved  are  a  good  resource,  and  furnish  much  "stuff"  for 
the  child's  flow  of  thought.  In  times  of  loneliness  or  trouble 
children  often  turn  to  these  old  friends  for  amusement  or  con- 
solation. Dorothy  Alma  had  had  her  tonsils  removed,  and 
she  was  very  sick  for  several  days;  then  how  glad  and  relieved 
we  felt  when  after  a  refreshing  nap  she  opened  her  eyes  and 
said,  "Where's  Muvver  Goose,  Aunt  Alma? — tell  stowie  pwease," 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  119 

Even  the  older  ones  of  us  pay  tribute  to  the  hold  nursery 
rimes  have  upon  us  when  we  find  them  running  now  and  then 
through  heads  thatched  with  gray.  We  see  a  spider  running 
and  unconsciously  say, 

"Little  Miss  Muffet  sat  on  a  tuffet, 
Eating  her  curds  and  whey: 
Along  came  a  spider  and  sat  down  beside  her, 
Which  frightened  Miss  MuiTet  away." 

At  Thanksgiving  or  at  Christmas  time  we  are  reminded  of, 

Little  Jack  Homer 

Sat  in  a  comer, 

Eating  his  Christmas  pie.  .  .  . 

And  it  is  possible  that  we  are  better  men  and  women  for  these 
little  excursions  into  the  land  of  long  ago.  It  was  a  compli- 
ment to  herself  although  she  did  not  realize  it,  when  the 
grown-up  lover  of  children  and  of  children's  books  remarked 
that  she  "couldn't  decide  which  one  of  all  the  beautiful  editions 
of  Mother  Goose  she  most  wanted  for  herself." 

Stories  are  doubly  interesting  to  children  when  they  com- 
bine story,  song,  and  action;  for  each  of  these  of  itself  appeals 
to  the  child  and  their  union  seems  to  add  to  their  effectiveness. 
It  was  a  proud  and  happy  day  for  little  Joan  when  she  held  up 
her  two  hands,  showing  her  fingers  one  by  one  and  sang  with 
her  mother  the  Httle  finger  play: 

"Oh!  where  are  the  merry,  merry  little  men 
To  join  us  in  our  play? 
And  where  are  the  busy,  busy  little  men 
To  help  us  work  to-day?" 

These  first  simple  stories  and  pictures  have  done  more  than 
g,niuse  and  keep  happy,  important  as  this  is.    They  have  trained 


I20  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

the  little  mind  to  follow  a  connected  train  of  thought,  they 
have  quickened  the  child's  imagination  and  given  practice  to 
his  memory.  They  have  added  to  his  vocabulary  and  to  some 
extent  expanded  the  range  of  his  ideas.  All  this  has  paved  the 
way  for  stories  of  more  serious  import — the  stories  and  pictures 
through  which  the  child  is  taught  religious  truths  of  love,  beauty, 
and  goodness. 

Use  of  the  Picture-Story  in  Teaching  Religion 

We  have  hardly  begun  to  reahze  the  possibility  of  impress- 
ing religious  truths  upon  the  child  by  means  of  pictures  and 
"picture-stories."  We  sometimes  think  that  the  little  child 
cannot  possibly  understand  and  appreciate  a  picture.  Even 
when  he  asks,  "What  does  it  mean?"  we  may  put  him  off  say- 
ing, "Oh,  it  is  just  a  picture,"  not  stopping  to  think  that  back 
of  every  great  picture  is  a  story  which  the  artist  tried  to  tell 
on  the  canvas.  Not  a  few  of  the  old  masters  are  fully  within 
the  range  of  the  child's  interest  and  appreciation  almost  as 
soon  as  he  has  begun  to  notice  pictures  and  enjoy  looking  at 
them. 

The  picture  story  differs  somewhat  in  the  telling  from  the 
"regular"  story,  since  in  the  former  the  story  must  'n  a  sense 
be  subordinate  to  the  picture;  in  fact,  its  purpose  is  to  lead 
to  a  fuller  enjoyment  and  appreciation  of  the  picture.  In  the 
picture  story  there  is  little  necessary  in  the  way  of  introduction. 
The  better  way  is  usually  to  call  attention  to  what  the  picture 
presents,  using  simple  statements  or  questions.  Only  the 
significant  points  of  the  picture  should  be  brought  out,  minute 
details  having  no  comment.  Occasional  explanation  may  be 
necessary,  though  it  is  possible  to  spoil  the  effect  of  a  picture 
by  too  much  explanation.  A  mother  whose  child  failed  to 
gather  meaning  from  "The  Angelus,"  explained  that  the  church 
bell  had  just  lung  in  the  village,  calling  people  to  prayer,  and 
that  the  workers  in  the  field  stopped  in  their  work  that  they 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  121 

too  might  pray.  Then  the  picture  had  real  meaning  and  sig- 
nificant interest  to  the  child. 

Questions  asked  of  the  child  about  the  picture  should  be 
more  to  suggest  meanings  to  him  and  to  give  him  ideas  about 
it  than  to  test  his  knowledge.  The  question  well  used  helps 
the  child  to  see  things  in  the  picture  for  himself,  to  imagine 
more  about  it,  and  perhaps  to  feel  the  truth  it  expresses.  An 
illustration  of  this  is  found  in  the  question  about  giving  in  the 
story,  ''The  Shepherds'  Visit  to  the  Baby  Jesus,"  page  192 

The  earliest  picture  stories  can  come  into  use  with  most 
children  by  the  time  they  are  two  years  old.  By  the  age  of 
three  the  pictures  and  stories  about  Jesus  as  illustrated  in 
Chapter  XIII  may  be  given.  These  will,  of  course,  need  to  be 
often  retold  and  will  interest  the  child  through  two  or  more 
years.  Parallehng  these  the  child  should  be  told  "regular" 
stories,  that  is,  stories  without  pictures,  the  meaning  coming 
wholly  from  the  words  alone. 

How  TO  Tell  Stories  to  Children 

Story-telHng  is  an  art  which  is  well  worth  the  mother's  while 
to  acquire.  Indeed,  it  would  be  a  blessed  thing  for  children 
if  every  mother  could  be  a  high-class  amateur  story-teller. 
Many  writers  have  given  plain  directions  for  attaining  pro- 
ficiency in  story-telling.    A  few  simple  rules  are  fundamental : 

1.  The  story  should  have  an  introduction,  which  should  be  brief 
and  defi?iite.  This  is  an  example:  "There  is  a  story  in  the  Bible 
about  a  boy  named  Joseph."  (Then  follows  the  story.)  Or, 
"Once  there  was  a  good  shepherd.  He  loved  his  sheep  and 
they  loved  him  and  ran  to  him  when  he  called."  (Then  the 
story.)  Avoid  introducing  a  story  by  asking  the  child  ques- 
tions, as  his  answers  may  lead  far  away  from  the  theme  of  the 
story. 

2.  The  body  of  the  story  should  consist  of  a  succession  of  in- 
teresting incidents  closely  connected  with  each  other  and  definitely 


122  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

related  to  the  main  theme.  For  children  of  preschool  age  the 
stories  must  be  relatively  simple;  that  is,  they  should  not  intro- 
duce many  characters  nor  too  complicated  a  train  of  events. 
The  story  should  not  be  long,  usually  not  more  than  will  go  on 
a  page  of  an  ordinary  book;  often  it  may  be  much  shorter  than 
this. 

3.  The  story  should  usually  lead  to  a  climax;  that  is,  to  some 
interesting  happening  in  which  the  whole  train  of  events  culminates. 
From  the  beginning  the  story-teller  must  keep  this  climax 
steadily  in  mind,  and  the  thread  of  the  story  must  lead  directly 
to  it,  shutting  out  irrelevant  details  such  as  would  distract 
from  the  main  line  of  thought.  If  the  story  is  to  be  graphic, 
it  must  lead  to  this  climax,  and  not  simply  relate  a  series  of 
incidents  that  do  not  come  to  anything  in  particular. 

4.  //  the  story  uses  a  conclusion,  this  should  be  brief,  and  should 
not  moralize.  Some  stories  may  end  with  the  climax.  Others 
may  have  a  sentence  or  two  following  to  ease  the  mind  down 
from  the  cHmax.  For  example,  in  telling  the  story  of  the  find- 
ing of  the  baby  Moses,  the  conclusion  after  the  cHmax  is  reached 
may  simply  be:  "Then  the  mother  took  her  baby  home  with 
her.  She  was  happy  to  care  for  him  again  and  to  keep  him 
safe  from  danger." 

The  Test  of  a  Story 

In  order  to  be  a  success  the  story  must  be  interesting  to  the 
child;  no  matter  how  "good"  a  story  it  may  be,  this  is  the 
final  test.  Mother  was  telling  Mary  Ellen  a  story,  but  the 
child  did  not  seem  to  be  enjoying  it  as  much  as  mother  thought 
she  ought  to;  so  she  said,  "What  makes  you  wiggle  so  when 
mother  is  trying  to  tell  you  a  story?"  Mary  Ellen  replied, 
"P'r'aps  if  you'd  tell  something  int'restin',  muvver,  I  wouldn't 
wiggle  so  much." 

The  story  must  be  well  told  if  it  is  to  have  the  best  effect. 
In  spite  of  the  story  the  kindergarten  assistant  was  telling  the 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  123 

children,  several  were  whispering  and  finally  a  whimper  was 
heard,  ''Jackie  pinched  me."  The  assistant  said,  "If  you  chil- 
dren can't  behave,  I  won't  try  to  tell  you  a  story."  What  was 
the  trouble?  The  story  was  really  a  very  interesting  one,  but 
it  was  not  well  told.  She  forgot  several  times  and  had  to  go 
back,  which  is  disastrous  to  any  story.  And  in  trying  to  keep 
in  mind  the  succession  of  incidents,  her  attention  became  so 
fixed  on  the  story  that  she  was  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  she 
was  losing  the  children's  interest  and  the  happy  response  she 
might  have  had  in  their  eager  faces. 

Stories  with  unhappy  incidents  or  sad  endings  should  not 
be  told  the  little  child.  Tragic  situations,  such  as  the  picturing 
of  a  death,  an  accident  or  great  suffering  leave  images  in  the 
tender  mind  which  are  like  barbs  in  the  flesh.  The  crucifixion 
of  Jesus  should  not  be  brought  to  the  young  child.  "He  gave 
his  life"  is  enough  at  this  stage.  The  picture  of  his  loving 
service,  his  kindly  deeds,  his  friendship,  and  his  goodness  are 
the  images  the  child's  mind  should  first  receive,  leaving  the 
tragic  element  for  "a  later  age. 

Lessons  from  Stories,  Rimes,  and  Pictures 

Some  of  the  most  effective  lessons  the  child  ever  gets  in 
being  polite,  kind  to  his  pets,  good-natured  to  those  about 
him,  etc.,  may  come  from  story-rimes  and  pictures.  There  are 
available  many  artistic  little  books  of  this  nature,  and  they 
should  be  freely  put  into  the  hands  of  the  young  child,  the 
pictures  shown  and  their  story-rimes  read  or  told  to  him.  When 
he  begins  to  read,  these  stories  will  be  to  the  child  a  new  delight 
as  he  reads  them  for  himself.     The  following  are  typical: 

A  Discovery 
I  went  one  day  to  get  a  drink, 
And  then  I  happened  just  to  think, 
That  cats  and  dogs  and  bunnies  too, 
Drink  water  just  like  me  or  you. 


124         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  cat  said,  "Mew";  the  dog,  "Bow-wow!" — 
What  did  they  mean  to  ask  me  now? 
And  then  I  happened  just  to  think 
They  might  be  asking  for  a  drink! 

Thoughtfulness 

Mother's  asleep,  and  I  must  keep 
Still  as  a  mouse  around  the  house. 
Quietest  toys — ^make  no  noise, 
Mother's  asleep,  and  I  must  keep 
Still  as  a  mouse  around  the  house. 

This  rime  can  be  varied  to  include  father,  sister,  brother, 
or  the  baby.  It  may  have  "we"  substituted  for  "I"  when 
there  are  more  than  one  child;  or  "you"  for  "I"  when  the  parent 
wishes  to  speak  directly  to  the  child. 

Five-year-old  John  seemed  bent  on  slamming  the  door  in- 
stead of  shutting  it  quietly.  Mother  had  spoken  to  John  about 
it,  but  he  often  failed  to  remember.  At  Christmas  time  his 
aunt  sent  John  that  very  interesting  book.  The  Goops  and  How 
to  Be  Them.    This  is  one  of  the  Goop  rimes: 

Little  scraps  of  paper, 

Little  crumbs  of  food 
Make  a  room  untidy 

Everywhere  they're  strewed. 

Can  you  blame  your  mother 

If  she  looks  severe 
When  she  says,  "It  looks  to  me 

As  if  the  Goops  were  here"? 

Mother  did  not  have  to  talk  any  more  about  slamming  doors. 
John  did  not  want  to  be  a  "Goop."^ 

1  The  Goops.  Published  by  Frederick  A.  Stokes,  New  York.  Used  by- 
permission. 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  125 

The  Child  Who  Forgot  to  Wash  His  Face^ 

The  child  forgot,  very  often,  to  wash  his  face.  There  were 
a  number  of  children  at  his  house,  all  younger  than  he,  who 
had  to  have  their  faces  washed  for  them,  so  the  mother  could 
not  always  attend  to  him.  He  had  a  fine  little  wash-cloth  of 
his  own  that  his  grandmother  had  knitted,  but  he  often  forgot 
to  use  it,  which  made  his  grandmother  sad. 

This  special  morning  the  child  ate  jam  on  his  toast  for  break- 
fast. Oh,  he  was  very  untidy  indeed,  for  there  was  jam  on 
his  blouse  and  on  the  tip  of  his  nose  and  on  his  mouth  when 
he  finished  breakfast!  But  he  never  remembered  to  use  his 
wash-cloth  and  he  jumped  down  from  the  table  and  ran  out- 
doors to  play. 

Just  outside  the  door,  on  a  tree  in  the  garden,  hung  the  child's 
yellow  canary  in  a  pretty  gilt  cage.  The  bird  was  very  tame. 
When  the  child  whistled  and  put  his  finger  in  the  cage,  the 
yellow  canary  would  light  on  it  and  sing.  But  this  morning  it 
paid  not  the  slightest  attention  when  the  child  called.  The  yellow 
canary  was  taking  a  bath.  It  had  a  white  saucer  full  of  crystal 
water,  and  it  dipped  its  little  body  in  and  lifted  up  its  head 
with  the  drops  shim'ng  on  its  feathers  Kke  diamonds  in  a  gold 
setting. 

So  the  child  went  farther  on,  until  he  came  to  his  pussy  cat 
sitting  in  the  path.  She  nearly  always  followed  the  child, 
running  after  a  string  and  ball  which  he  carried  in  his  pocket 
for  her  to  play  with.  This  morning,  though,  the  pussy  cat 
would  not  so  much  as  look  at  the  child.  She  was  very  busy 
indeed,  washing  the  milk  from  her  whiskers  with  one  velvet 
paw  and  her  little  velvet  tongue.  She  did  not  even  purr  when 
the  child  stroked  her  furry  back. 

So  the  child  went  still  farther  on  until  he  came  to  the  pond 


1  From  Stories  for  Sunday  Telling,  Carolyn  Shervvin  Bailey.     The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston.    Used  by  permission. 


126         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

at  the  end  of  the  garden  where  the  ducks  Uved.  His  pockets 
were  full  of  bits  of  bread  for  the  ducks.  He  often  tossed  their 
breakfast  out  into  the  water,  and  the  ducks  swam  to  him  and 
gobbled  up  the  crumbs  in  their  bills  and  quacked,  "Thank  you." 

To-day,  though,  the  ducks  did  not  seem  to  see  their  break- 
fast. At  the  other  end  of  the  pond  they  were  dipping  their 
green  selves  down  in  the  water,  until  all  the  child  could  see 
was  the  tips  of  their  pointed  tails.  Then  they  lifted  them- 
selves out  of  the  water  and  shook  a  shower  of  drops  from  their 
green  feathers.     The  ducks  were  taking  their  morning  baths. 

"I  wonder  why  no  one  will  play  with  me,"  thought  the  child. 

Then  he  looked  down  in  the  mirror  of  the  pond,  and  he  saw 
that  he  had  not  washed  his  face. 

"Why,  perhaps  it  is  because  I  am  dirty,"  he  said. 

And  the  child  ran  home  to  use  his  grandmother's  wash-cloth. 

Fairy  Stories  and  Stories  of  Adventure 

Children  universally  like  fairy  stories,  and  the  fairy  story 
may  be  used  to  impress  many  good  lessons  while  they  are  at 
the  same  time  giving  enjoyment.  Fairy  stories  usually  deal 
with  Httle  problems  of  work,  kindness,  or  service.  The  "good" 
fairies  and  the  "bad"  imps  or  ogres  are  set  in  sharp  contrast, 
with  the  good  made  sufficiently  attractive  to  win  the  child's 
approval.  For  the  time  being  the  child  in  his  fancy  himself 
becomes  the  fairy  who  has  brought  happiness  or  done  a  kind- 
ness to  another,  or  he  may  be  the  good  child  who  has  won  the 
help  of  fairy  or  brownie.  He  lives  in  the  story  and  his  soul 
stretches  and  grows  somewhat  from  the  experience.  A  caution 
should  be  observed  at  this  point,  however,  not  to  allow  mere 
imaginings  to  take  the  place  of  performing  actual  deeds  of 
kindness  and  service.  Along  with  the  impressions  received 
from  such  story  sources  there  should  be  opportunities  for 
abundant  expression  of  the  qualities  and  acts  admired. 

On   through   childhood,    well   chosen   stories   continue    their 


PICTURES  AND  STORIES  127 

appeal  and  their  beneficent  influence.  Stories  of  brave  deeds 
— the  adventures  of  brave  knights  and  beautiful  ladies  who 
lived  in  olden  time,  call  forth  the  desire  on  the  part  of  the  lad 
to  be  brave  and  chivalrous  and  on  the  part  of  the  maiden  to 
be  fair  and  kind  and  beautiful,  worthy  of  the  wonderful  knight 
on  his  dashing  white  steed. 

The  mother  who  knows  how   to  select  and  use  stories  for 
her  children  has  the  problem  of  their  upbringing  half  solved. 

Books  for  mothers: 

Mother  Goose. 

The  Good  Wolfe,  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett.  Published  by 
Moffat  Yard  &  Co.,  New  York. 

Little  People,  Aiken.  Published  by  David  McKay,  Phila- 
delphia. 

The  Goops,  Gelett  'Burgess.  PubHshed  by  Frederick  A. 
Stokes  &  Co.,  New  York. 

Rhymes  for  Kindly  Children,  Fairmont  Snyder.  Published 
by  P.  F.  Volland  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

Where  to  get  pictures: 

Brown    Picture     Company,    Beverly,     Massachusetts,    and 

Thomas  Charles  Company,  Chicago,  Illinois. 
The  Perry  Picture  Company,  Maiden,  Massachusetts. 
W.  A.  Wilde  Pictures  Company,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

Books  on  story  telling: 

For  the  Story  Teller,  Carolyn  Sherwin  Bailey.  Published  by 
Milton  Bradley  Company. 

How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,  Sara  Cone  Bryant.  Pub- 
lished by  Houghton  Mifiiiin  Company,  Boston. 

Stories  and  Story  Telling,  Edward  Porter  St.  John.  Pub- 
lished by  The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 


128         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


SPRING.     (Knous) 


CHAPTER  XII 
STORIES  AND  PICTURES  FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 

To  the  little  child  Easter  will  mean  the  coming  of  spring. 
Now  the  sun  shines  warm  and  bright.  All  winter  long  the 
little  seeds  and  roots  of  plants  have  been  tucked  away  by 
Mother  Earth;  they  have  been  sleeping  in  their  brown  satiny 
beds,  safe  and  warm. 

The  Message  of  Spring 

Now  spring  has  come.  She  calls  the  httle  seeds  and  the 
roots  to  leave  their  brown,  satiny  beds  and  come  out  into  the 
sunshine.  The  little  seeds  and  roots  hear  the  call  of  spring 
and  come  up  out  of  the  ground  in  the  form  of  htlle  plants, 
and  soon  flowers  will  grow  and  blossom.  We  search  for  the 
early  spring  flowers,  the  violet,  the  hepatica,  the  crocus;  along 
by  the  streams  we  find  pussy  willows  growing  on  the  trees; 
the  grass  is  turning  green;  the  birds  are  twittering  and  flying 
about;  they  are  building  their  nests;  they  are  getting  ready  for 
the  little  baby  birds  that  come  from  the  eggs  of  the  mother  birds. 

The  mother  may  use  these  concepts  in  the  coming  of  spring 
as  a  background  in  teaching  lessons  about  God's  love  and  good- 
ness. By  the  use  of  pictures,  stories,  and  songs  the  child  may 
learn  how  God,  the  heavenly  Father,  has  taken  care  of  the 
birds,  the  seeds,  and  roots  of  plants  all  through  the  winter, 
and  now  he  is  sending  the  warm  rain  and  the  sunshine  to  make 
httle  seeds  and  plants  grow.  The  child  learns  that  God  has 
given  us  the  sunshine,  the  flowers,  the  trees,  and  the  birds — 
all  the  beautiful  things  in  nature  and  the  world  around  us. 

Easter  means  resurrection,  but  it  is  only  when  the  child  is 
old  enough  to  understand  about  the  life  and  death  of  Christ 
that  the  resurrection  of  our  Saviour  can  be  understood  in  its 
real  significance. 

129 


130 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


iJic  Pussy-Willow  Grew 

One  night  the  lairy  Queen  had  all  her 

fairies  gathered  around  her.  She  was 
telling  them  how  thankful  they  should 
be  that  they  were  happy  and  that  they 
had  such  a  beautiful  world  to  live  in. 

"And  this  is  the  reason  for  your  hap- 
piness," she  explained.  "You  do  good 
and  bring  happiness  to  others  and  are 
always  busy.  If  you  did  not  work  and 
had  nothing  to  do  but  look  around  for 
amusement,  you  would  soon  become  rest- 
less and  dissatisfied  and  long  for  things 
that  others  have.  But,  of  course,  fairies 
never  long  for  things  that  children  have, 
so  all  this  talk  is  quite  needless." 

When  the  Queen  finished  speaking  she 
saw  one  little  fairy  looked  very  grave  and 
did  not  smile  and  dance  about  with  the 
others. 

This  fairy  was  called  Dewdrop,  because 
it  was  her  duty  every  morning  just  be- 
fore sunrise  to  gather  drops  from  the 
river   and   put    them   on  all   the  flowers. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  131 

and  she  was  usually  the  gayest  of  the  fairies,  so  the  Queen 
called  to  her  and  asked: 

"What  makes  you  so  sad,  my  Dewdrop?  Is  there  not  plenty 
of  water  in  the  river-beds  for  your  beautiful  flowers?" 

"Oh  yes,  my  Queen,"  answered  Dewdrop.  "There  are  plenty 
of  drops  for  my  flowers,  but  I  am  unhappy  because  of  some- 
thing I  want  and  I  know  I  cannot  have." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  said  the  wise  Queen.  "Perhaps  I  can 
help  you,"  and  she  drew  Dewdrop  close  to  her  side  and  listened 
to  her  story. 

"One  morning  when  the  south  wind  and  gray  cloud  brought 
rain  to  my  beautiful  flowers,"  Dewdrop  began,  "I  did  not  have 
any  work  to  do,  so  I  sat  under  a  big  leaf  and  watched  the  rain 
falling.  I  was  in  a  garden,  and  a  house  stood  near.  By  and 
by  a  little  girl  came  out  and  called  'Kitty,  kitty,'  and  the  dearest 
little  kitten  came  running  up  the  path,  meowing  and  swinging 
its  tail.  The  little  girl  rolled  a  spool  across  the  porch  and  the 
kitten  chased  it.  Then  it  jumped  through  her  clasped  hands 
and  chased  its  tail,  and  then  it  ran  up  the  little  girl's  dress  to 
her  shoulder  and  sat  there,  with  its  head  nestled  in  her 
neck." 

"But  why  should  this  make  you  so  sad,  my  Dewdrop?" 
asked  the  Queen. 

"Tefl  her,  Dewdrop,"  said  one  of  the  other  fairies,  for  all  of 
them  had  gathered  around  while  Dewdrop  was  talking. 

"Yes,  tell  the  Queen,"  said  another. 

"You  see,  dear  Queen,  we  aU  want  a  kitten  to  play  with," 
said  Dewdrop,  "and  every  time  one  of  us  sees  a  Httle  girl  with 
a  kitten  we  are  unhappy." 

The  Queen  looked  very  grave,  for  never  before  had  her  fairies 
wanted  anything  children  possessed,  but  she  did  not  scold. 

After  waiting  a  few  minutes  the  Queen  spoke:  "I  will  not 
promise  you  anything,"  she  said,  "but  meet  me  to-morrow 
night  down  by  the  river  when  the  clock  strikes  the  last  stroke 


132  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

of  twelve,  and  if  the  moon  is  shining,  I  may  have  something 
for  you." 

"Oh,  you  dear,  good  Queen!"  cried  all  the  fairies  at  once. 
*Tt  will  be  something  nice,  we  know." 

"Perhaps,"  answered  the  Queen,  smiling.  "Now  scamper 
away,  every  one  of  you,  and  do  your  work  with  smiling  faces." 

The  next  night  the  moon  was  shining,  and  the  Queen  could 
be  seen — that  is,  if  one  had  fairy  eyes — flitting  along  the  banks 
of  the  river,  back  and  forth,  back  and  forth,  flying  in  there 
and  out  here,  and  as  busy  as  two  Httle  fairies  could  have  been 
on  their  busiest  night. 

"There!"  she  exclaimed,  after  a  while,  "I  think  there  will  be 
enough  for  each  to  have  one."  Then  she  stepped  into  her 
chariot  and  waited. 

The  last  tone  of  the  last  stroke  of  the  midnight  hour  was 
dying  away  when  the  fairies  appeared  by  the  river  and  looked 
about  for  their  Queen. 

"There  she  is,"  said  one,  catching  sight  of  the  shining  chariot 
under  a  bush. 

"What  is  it  you  have  for  us?"  they  all  asked,  running  to  the 
Queen. 

The  Queen  led  them  nearer  the  bank  of  the  river  and  showed 
them  slender  brown  bushes  with  tiny  gray  tufts,  soft  and  slick- 
looking. 

"But  what  are  they?"  asked  the  fairies. 

"Stroke  them  and  see,"  said  the  Queen. 

Each  little  fairy  touched  a  soft,  gray  tuft  with  her  tiny  finger. 
"Me-ow,  me-ow,"  came  softly  from  each  tiny  gray  tuft,  and 
then  the  gray  tuft  stretched  out  and  a  tiny  head  appeared,  and 
a  tail  and  four  little  paws  could  be  seen. 

"•Oh!  Oh!  The  darhngs!"  cried  all  the  fairies.  "They  are 
our  kittens,  our  dear  little  pussy  cats  we  had  wished  for  so  long." 

Each  Httle  gray  pussy  sat  up  and  looked  at  her  mistress,  and 
then  one  fairy  rolled  a  grain  of  sand  (of  course  they  looked 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


^33 


very  large  to  a  fairy  kitten) ,  and  all  the  little  gray  pussies  scam- 
pered down  from  the  bushes  and  did  all  the  tricks  for  the  fairies 
that  mortal  kittens  do  for  their  little  mistresses. 

When  the  first  streak  of  light  showed  in  the  sky  all  the  gray 
pussies  scrambled  back  to  the  bushes,  curled  up,  and  went  to 
sleep,  and  there  they  sleep  every  night  until  the  last  tone  of 
the  last  stroke  of  the  midnight  hour  dies  away,  and  then  if 
you  can  see  with  fairy  eyes  you  will  see  each  little  gray  mite 
stretch  out  and  sit  up  and  me-ow  for  her  little  fairy  mistress 
to  come  and  play  with  her. 

We  call  them  pussy-willow  bushes,  but  the  fairies  call  them 
their  little  gray  kittens. 

(From  Told  By  the  Sandman,  by  Abbie  Phillips  Walker.  Used  by  permis- 
sion of  author,  and  publishers,  Harper  &  Brothers,  New  York.) 


9'ifcS 


1.  In 

2.  And 

-•- 


£z^fcS: 


the    ear   -  ly    days 
you  wear      a     vel  ■ 

-^— r-- a— 


of  spring, 
vet  gown, 
-•- . 


Pus  -  sy 

Pus  -  sy 


wil  -  low,  pus  -  sy 
wil  -  low,  pus  -  sy 


-U— - 


-y — 


wil  -  low.  When  the  birds  be-  gin     to  sing,    Pus  -  sy  wil  -  low, we  find  you. 
wil -low, That  is  soft    as    ei  -  der  down.  Pus  -  sy  wil -low, we  love  you. 


9^-^. 


l=t: 


--\/- 


-M-±:. 


:t: 


t^=?; 


:t: 


m 


(From  Songs  For  A  Little  Child) 


Where  to  go  for  stories  and  lessons  and  songs: 

"The    Coming    of    Spring,"    from    the    Beginners    Book    in 


134         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Religion,  by  Edna  Dean  Baker.  Published  by  The  Abingdon 
Press,  New  York. 

"The  Lily's  Message,"  from  A  First  Primary  Book  in  Reli- 
gion, by  Elizabeth  Colson.  PubHshed  by  The  Abingdon  Press, 
New  York. 

Songs  For  the  Little  Child,  by  Clara  Belle  Baker  and 
Caroline  Kohlsaat.  PubHshed  by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New 
York. 


1.  Love  -  ly  spring  time  now     is    here,     Skip    and  sing,     skip    and  sing; 

2.  When  the  grass  and  leaves  are  green  Spring   is      fair,    spring    is      fair 


^      4 .-N— h"^ ^       .     .^- 


i=r 


Hap  -  piest  time     of        all    the    year  Is     the    love  -  ly     spring. 

When   the     lit  -  tie     birds  are    seen,       Fly  -  ing     in     the       air. 

The  first  verse  may  be  sung  as  a  chorus. 

(Words  by  Mollie  Stumbaugh,  a  little  blind  girl.  Music  by  George  B.  Loomis. 
From  Loomis's  Progressive  Music  Lessons,  Number  2,  Copyright,  American  Book 
Company,  Publishers.) 


Finding  God  Through  Nature 

Nature  stories  bring  the  child  into  a  close  relationship  with 
the  little  creatures  that  cannot  talk.  The  little  child  naturally 
loves  the  birds,  and  the  bunnies,  the  squirrels  and  kittens;  he 
likes  to  handle  them,  but  he  needs  direction,  for  he  does  not 
realize  these  little  creatures  are  as  frail  as  they  are.  In  caring 
for  these  little  creatures  the  child  learns  that  the  heavenly 
Father  is  pleased  with  him;  in  time  he  may  realize  in  a  way 
that  the  love  and  care  he  gives  to  his  pets  is  something  like 
the  love  and  care  his  father  and  mother  give  to  him.  And  the 
heavenly  Father  loves  and  cares  for  us  all. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


1.35 


ROBIN  REDBREAST     (Munier) 


136  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  Cozy  Little  Nest 

One  day  two  little  birds  were  sitting  in  the  old  apple  tree. 
They  were  Father  and  Mother  Robin  Redbreast.  They  were 
talking  about  the  little  cozy  nest  they  were  going  to  build. 
Mother  Robin  said,  "Where  shall  we  build  our  cozy  little 
nest?" 

Father  Robin  said,  "Let  us  build  our  cozy  little  nest  high 
up  in  the  tree,  so  high  that  Tabby  Gray  cannot  get  it." 

"That  will  be  a  good  place,"  said  Mother  Robin. 

Then  Father  and  Mother  Robin  were  very  busy.  They 
gathered  little  sticks  and  straws  for  the  cozy  httle  nest.  They 
went  to  the  chicken  yard  for  feathers. 

"May  we  have  some  feathers,"  they  asked  Mrs.  Specklety 
Hen. 

"O  yes,  you  may  have  some  feathers;  I  do  not  use  feathers 
for  my  nest.     Imakemy  nestof  hay." 

And  the  pigeons  said,  "Coo,  coo!  we  should  like  to  give  you 
some  feathers  too." 

Everyone  wanted  to  help. 

Every  day  Mother  Robin  Redbreast  would  place  an  egg  in 
the  cozy  little  nest.  And  now  there  are  four  blue  eggs  in  it. 
Mother  Robin  will  sit  on  the  eggs  and  keep  them  warm,  while 
Father  Robin  brings  food  for  her.  Some  of  the  time  Father 
Robin  will  sit  on  the  eggs.  When  Father  Robin  sits  on  the 
eggs  Mother  Robin  flies  away  to  find  worms  and  seeds  for  them 
to  eat. 

Soon  there  will  be  four  little  baby  birds  for  Father  and 
Mother  Robin  Redbreast  to  feed.  It  will  keep  them  busy  to 
feed  so  many  babies. 

Other  stories: 

"The  Wee  Nest"  and  "The  Brown  Birds"  from  A  Story 
Garden  For  Little  Children,  by  Maud  Lindsay.  PubHshed  by 
Lathrop  Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


137 


"What  Robin  Told."  A  poem  from  Songs  of  the  Tree-Top 
and  Meadow  collected  and  arranged  by  Lida  Brown  McMurry 
and  Agnes  Spofford  Cook.  Public  School  Publishing  Company, 
Pubhshers,  Bloomington,  Illinois. 

"Out  of  the  Nest,"  from  More  Mother  Stories;  by  Maud 
Lindsay.  Milton  Bradley  Company,  Publishers,  Springfield, 
Massachusetts. 

Rohin  Redbreast 
Words  and  melody  adapted  from  an  old  song. 


::1=q: 


:^=:1= 


=|: 


Az 


~l- 


-7:i- 


-7^—^—\— 


-»-    -0-  -•-  -•-  -#- 

1.  Oh,  Rob  -  in,   Rob  -  in  Red  -  breast,  Oh,  Rob  -  in,   Rob  -  in  dear;  You 

2.  Oh,  Rob  -  in,  Rob  -  in  Red  -  breast.  Oh,  Rob  -  in,   Rob  -  in  dear,  What 

3.  I      sing     a  -  bout  the  sun  -  shine,    I  sing      a  -  bout  the  nest;       I 


* 


-• — • 1 — I — I — I 


:q= 


sing  so  ver  -  y  sweet  -  ly 
la  the  song  you're  sing  -  ing 
sing      a  -  bout   the   four  blue  eggs 


In  the  spring-time  of    the      year. 
In  the  spring-time  of     the     year? 
My     mate  has  'neath  her    breast. 


Note. — When  the  song  has  become  familiar  to  the  child,  it 
may  be  used  as  a  little  singing  dialogue  between  mother  and 
child.  The  child  takes  the  part  of  the  robin;  the  mother  sings 
the  first  two  verses  in  the  form  of  questions. 


Activity : 

Flying  like  the  robin  with  arms  outstretched  with  birdlike 
motion,  mother  and  child  play  they  are  robins. 


138  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


TWO  MOTHERS  AND  THEIR  FAMILIES     (Gardner) 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


139 


Two  Mothers  and  Their  Families 

One  day  a  mother  hen  and  her  baby  chickens  were  scratch- 
ing for  their  breakfast.  They  were  scratching  right  in  front 
of  the  door.  The  door  was  open.  Mother  hen  said,  "Cluck, 
cluck,  cluck,  cluck,"  which  meant  "The  door  is  open,  let's  go 
in;  maybe  we  can  get  something  to  eat  without  scratching." 
The  child  has  scattered  some  bread  crumbs  on  the  floor. 
Mother  hen  and  the  baby  chickens  are  eating  them. 

Mother  is  telling  the  child  how  the  mother  hen  loves  and 
cares  for  her  baby  chickens.  She  watches  over  them  so  that 
nothing  shall  hurt  them.  I  wonder  what  happened  to  the  two 
little  chicks  just  coming  in?  Perhaps  they  didn't  mind  mother 
at  once  when  she  said,  "Cluck,  cluck."  You  know  little  chick- 
ens must  learn  to  mind  their  mothers  just  as  little  boys  and 
girls  do.  There  is  a  little  baby  too  in  the  room.  You  cannot 
see  it  very  well.  It  is  in  the  cradle.  Mother,  sitting  on  a  low 
stool  has  been  rocking  the  baby  to  sleep.  When  baby  chickens 
get  sleepy  they  cuddle  up  close  to  their  mother  under  her 
wings.     Shall  we  sing  the  little  song  about  the  chickens? 

Little  Chickens 

Clara  Bblle  Baker 


!/\     *>          h.             1^      .      J 

1 

H— 

\--^-^- 

— r^ 

^  ■ 

1 

'J-4 

It 

1^-        d 

-s     • 

— * 

— • — ■ 

Hear  them    peep, 

peep,     peep, 

1 
Lit  -  tie     chick  -  ens, 

•   h 

1 

lit  - 
-I 

tie 

^^    ^             ■  L- 

-^— 

-^- 





i 


m 


::f!=;S: 


*--d=.'=( 


g 


^^iSil 


chickens;  Hear  them  peep,  peep,   peep,    Un  -  der  mother's  wings  they  creep 


-^ h 


:t=:=t 


:4: 


m 


( From  Songs  For  A  Little  Child  ^ 


I40 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


"YOU'RE  NO  CHICKEN"    (Paton) 


One  day  two  little  chickens  were  running  along  by  the  side 
of  the  house.  They  were  hunting  for  worms.  Just  then  they 
saw  something  hopping,  hopping  toward  them.  It  wasn't  a 
worm,  but  they  didn't  know  what  it  was.  They  stopped  and 
looked  at  it.  They  had  never  seen  anything  Hke  this  be- 
fore. They  said,  "You're  no  chicken.  And  you're  no 
worm." 

What  was  it  they  saw  in  the  path  by  the  side  of  the  house? 
A  frog.  What  do  you  think  the  frog  would  say  to  the  little 
chickens?  I  think  he  would  say,  "Ker  chunk!  ker  chunk!  ker 
chunk!"  which  means,  "No,  I'm  no  chicken;  but  I  can  swim 
and  I  can  dive.     I  am  on  my  way  to  the  pond  now." 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  141 

The  Chickens 

Said  the  first  little  chicken 

With  a  queer  little  squirm, 
"I  wish  I  could  find 

A  fat  Httle  worm!" 

Said  the  next  little  chicken 

With  an  odd  Httle  shrug, 
"I  wish  I  could  find 

A  fat  little  bug!" 

Said  the  third  little  chicken 

With  a  faint  little  moan, 
"I  wish  I  could  find 

A  wee  gravel  stone!" 

"Now  see  here!"  said  the  mother, 

From  the  green  garden  patch, 
"If  you  want  any  breakfast, 

Just  come  here  and  scratch!" 

(From  Songs  of  the  Tree-Top  and  Meadow,  by  Lida  Brown  McMurry  and 
Agnes  Spofford  Cook.  Used  by  permission  of  the  Public  vSchcol  Publishing 
Company,  Bloomington,  Illinois.) 

The  sheep  are  eating  the  fresh  green  grass  in  the  pasture. 
Sheep  and  little  lambs  are  like  Httle  boys  and  girls;  they  need 
some  one  to  watch  over  and  care  for  them.  You  know  how 
father  and  mother  take  such  good  care  of  you;  so  the  shepherd 
man  watches  over  his  sheep;  he  is  near  them  aH  the  time.  He 
won't  let  anybody  or  anything  come  near  to  harm  them.  See 
the  dog  Rover.  I  think  he  too  is  helping.  If  Rover  should 
hear  or  see  anything  coming,  I  think  he  would  say,  "Bow 
wow,  bow  wow!"  He  says  just  as  plainly  as  he  can,  "Go  away, 
you  can't  come  near  my  sheep."     I  wonder  if  you  can  tell  me 


142 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND  HIS  SHEEP     (Mauve) 

what  the  little  lambs  say?     (Baa  baa.)     To-night  when  father 
comes  home  shall  we  tell  him  what  Httle  lambs  say? 


A  Sheep  Story 

Here  is  a  picture  of  sheep  in  the  pasture;  some  are  lying 
down  and  some  are  standing  up.  You  are  getting  to  be  such 
a  big  boy  (or  girl)  that  now  you  can  count  those  that  are  stand- 
ing up,  can't  you?  (Child  counts.)  Some  day  you  will  be  so 
big  you  can  count  all  the  others  too.  One  of  them  is  looking 
right  at  you.  Would  you  like  to  name  this  sheep?  (Child 
may  like  to  name  the  sheep.  Mother  makes  suggestions  or 
encouraging  comments.)  That's  a  good  name.  Some  times 
when  the  shepherd  cannot  take  care  of  the  sheep  the  shepherd 
woman  watches  over  them.  Do  you  see  the  dog?  He  is 
watching  over    the  sheep  while  the    shepherd  is  away.      He 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


143 


A  CONTENTED  FLOCK     (Bonheur) 

is  watching  over   the  sheep  so  that  nothing   shall  come  near 
to  harm  them. 
Shall  we  sing  the  song  about  the  shepherd  and  his  sheep? 


Old  Folk  Melody 


-^ N 


, —  — . -\ — J — \-0 — 0 • — 4 


■^--^--^ 


—4-^ — J-F' 


Lit  -  tie  lambs   sd    white  and    fair     Are   the  shep-herd's  constant  care; 


N — ^- 


?^m, 


:[=: 


-V — !- 


^tt 


— N — ^- 


-N ^-  - 


::3: 


-z^- 


1 


Now    he  leads  their  ten-  der    feet      In  -  to    pas-  tures  green  and  sweet. 


144         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

In  an  evening  story  the  mother  has  told  how  the  heavenly- 
Father  watches  over  us,  how  he  cares  for  us  while  we  sleep. 
This  song  might  be  sung  as  a  prayer: 

"Jesus,  tender  shepherd,  hear  me; 
Bless  thy  little  child  to-night; 
Through  the  darkness  be  thou  near  me; 
Keep  me  safe  till  morning  light." 

Note. — For  music  see  Story,  "Jesus  as  the  Good  Shepherd." 

The  Woolly  Coat 

Did  you  ever  say  to  mother  on  a  warm  day  in  the  spring, 
"Mother,  this  coat  is  too  warm  to-day;  it's  hot  out  of  doors?" 
Mother  says:  "I  didn't  know  it  was  so  warm;  spring  must  be 
coming." 

The  sheep  too  has  been  wearing  his  woolly  coat  all  winter. 
He  has  been  saying  for  some  time,  "Baa,  baa!  this  coat's  too 
warm.  Baa,  baa!  Mr.  Shepherd,  I  can't  run  and  play;  my  coat 
is  so  warm!" 

So  in  the  picture  the  man  is  cutting  off  the  sheep's  woolly 
coat.  See  his  big  shears!  It  doesn't  hurt  a  bit,  you  know. 
It  doesn't  hurt  any  more  than  when  you  have  your  hair  cut 
off.     How  good  the  sheep  will  feel  when  it  is  all  cut  off! 

Now,  what  do  you  suppose  will  be  done  with  this  woolly 
coat  that  the  man  has  cut  off?  Why,  Jimsy  Lad  (substitute 
the  name  of  the  child),  your  nice  warm  mittens  and  your  stock- 
ing-cap that  you  pull  down  over  your  ears,  and  your  snug  win- 
ter coat  were  once  upon  a  time  the  woolly  coat  of  some  nice  big 
sheep.  Who  knows  but  that  Flossy  (or  the  name  the  child  gave 
the  sheep)  herself  wore  it!     It's  nice  to  think  she  did,  isn't  it? 

Prayer : 

Dear  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  the  white  woolly 
sheep  that  gives  us  our  warm  coats  and  our  caps  and  our 
mittens  and  all  the  nice  things  we  wear.     Amen. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


145 


Used  by  the  courtety  ot  Milton  Bradley  Company 

SHEARING  THE  SHEEP 


146  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Another  story: 

"The  New  Red  Dress,"  by  Cora  E.  Harris.  From  The  Story 
Hour,  by  Carolyn  Bailey  and  Clara  M.  Lewis. 

The  Bunnies 

See  Mother  Bunny  with  her  baby  bunnies!  How  many  babies 
has  she?  Let  us  count  them.  One- two- three-four-five.  What  a 
big  family!  See  what  bright  eyes  they  have!  What  do  you 
suppose  makes  their  ears  stand  up  so  straight?  Rabbits  are  very 
timid,  you  know,  so  they  Hsten  all  the  time.  Sometimes  a  dog 
comes  running  along,  and  when  he  sees  the  rabbits  he  chases  them. 
Of  course  the  dog  doesn't  know  it  is  wrong  to  chase  rabbits. 

When  bunny  hears  a  strange  sound  off  he  scampers.  One 
of  them  looks  as  if  he  heard  something  now.  (Help  the  child 
to  find  the  bunny  sitting  on  his  hind  legs  with  ears  straight 
up.)  See  the  little  bunny  close  to  his  mother.  Perhaps  he  is 
telling  her  something.  And  see  the  funny  little  bunny  with 
his  paws  up  to  his  face.  I  think  he  has  eaten  his  supper  and 
now  he  is  washing  his  face.  They  have  found  some  clover 
on  the  ground.  Bunnies  like  other  green  things  to  eat.  Carrots 
and  cabbage  and  bread  are  good  for  bunnies  to  eat. 

Five  Little  Rabbits 
Five  little  rabbits  This  one  says, 

Under  a  log.  "I'm  not  afraid!" 

This  one  says,  This  one  says, 

"I  hear  the  dog!"  "Keep  in  the  shade." 

This  one  says,  The  man  passed  by 

"I  see  a  man!"  "We're  still  alive." 

This  one  says,  Said  the  funny  little  rabbits 

"Run  while  you  can!"  And  they  ran,  all  five. 

(From  Character  Building  Readers,  by  Ellen  E.  Kenyon- Warner.  Used  by 
permission  of  the  publishers,  Hinds,  Hayden  and  Eldredge,  New  York.) 

Note. — This  little  poem  might  be  used  for  a  finger  play  holding 

up  in  turn  the  fingers  and  thumb  of  one  hand. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


147 


~y.'  V  ■'T;:mTar- 


AN  INTERESTIiNG  FAAliLV     (Carter; 


148 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Activity : 

Making  rabbit's  ears  by  holding  up  two  fingers. 

The  Bunny 


long  ears?  You  know  me,  lit 

-I — I • r# 1 i' 


Bun  -  ny,  pret-ty  bun  -  ny,  why  raise  your  long  ears?  You  know  me,  lit  -  tie 


— - — =— h-# — ^ — •—£-*— 


bun  -  ny,   and    what  need  for     fears?       I      give    you  green  cab  -  bage  and 


->P^' 


m—ut-i—' — • — • — j^ — •— J— F-J- — ^^j— H — W 


carrots  and  bread,    And    lit  -  tie  house  to     live  in  with  leaves  for  a      bed. 


(From  Songs  For  A  Little  Child) 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


149 


BRINGING  HOME  THE  NEW  BORN  CALF     (Millet) 


The  Baby  Calf 

Do  you  see  the  little  baby  calf  that  the  men  are  carrying? 
Early  one  morning  the  father  went  out  to  the  pasture;  he  went 
out  to  the  pasture  to  milk  the  cows.  Right  beside  its  mother 
there  was  the  Httle  new  baby  calf.  Molly  Moo  Moo,  the 
mother  cow,  looked  as  if  to  say,  "See  my  baby,  See  my 
baby!" 

Father  said,  "Yes,  I  see  your  baby,  Molly  Moo  Moo.  I 
think  we'll  take  your  baby  to  the  barn.  It  will  be  warm  and 
comfortable  in  the  barn." 

See  how  carefully  they  are  carrying  the  Baby  Moo  Moo! 


ISO 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Molly  Moo  Moo  is  walking  behind.  She  is  kissing  her  baby. 
I  think  she  is  saying,  ''Don't  be  afraid,  my  baby;  the  men  will 
take  you  to  the  barn;  it  will  be  warm  and  comfortable  in  the 
barn."  The  woman  with  the  cap  on  her  head  is  saying,  "Don't 
be  afraid  Baby  Moo  Moo;  we  love  Kttle  babies." 


A   VISIT   TO   THE   BARX 


Baby  Moo  Moo 

One  morning  father  said,  "Children,  how  would  you  like  to 
go  out  to  the  barn  and  see  Baby  Moo  Moo?"  Betty  said,  "I 
want  to  see  Baby  Moo  Moo."  Timothy  Lad  said,  "I  go  too, 
daddy,"  and  Billy  just  ran  out  to  the  barn  to  be  the  first  one 
to  see  Baby  Moo  Moo.  Do  you  think  Betty  and  Timothy  are 
a  little  bit  afraid?  They  are  standing  behind  Billy.  Billy  has 
his  hand  up  to  pat  Baby  Moo  Moo.  Baby  Moo  Moo  likes  to 
be  patted.  What  do  you  think  Billy  is  saying  to  Baby  Moo 
Moo?  See  how  quietly  the  mother  cow  is  standing.  She  is 
saying  to  herself,  "Kind  httle  children  may  play  with  my 
baby.     I  know  they  will  not  hurt  my  baby." 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


15T 


MILKING  TIME    (Dupre) 

Milking  iJic  Cow 

See  the  maid  milking  the  cow.  What  do  you  see  in  the 
pail?  It  is  brimming  full  of  white,  warm  milk.  I  think  Betty 
and  Timothy  and  Billy  will  have  some  fresh  milk  for  break- 
fast. Fresh  milk  helps  little  girls  and  boys  to  grow  strong  so 
that  they  can  run  and  jump  and  have  a  great  deal  of  fun. 
Shall  we  tell  the  story  about  "the  friendly  cow"? 


The  Cow 

The  friendly  cow,  all  red  and  white, 

I  love  with  all  my  heart. 
She  gives  me  cream  with  all  her  might, 

To  eat  with  apple  tart. 


152  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

She  wanders  lowing  here  and  there, 

J^.nd  yet  she  cannot  stray 
All  in  the  pleasant  open  air, 

The  pleasant  light  of  day. 

And  blown  by  all  the  winds  that  pass 

And  wet  with  all  the  showers, 
She  walks  among  the  meadow  grass 
And  eats  the  meadow  flowers. 

(Robert  Louis  Stevenson.) 
Note. — The  first  verse  only  might  be  used  until  the  child  is 
five  or  six  years  of  age.     The  mother  enjoys  saying  these  lines 
over  and  over  to  the  child,  who  will  one  day  be  saying  them  too. 

A  little  child's  grace : 

Dear  God,  I  thank  you  for  the  nice  fresh  milk  from  the  bossy 
cow.     Amen. 


CAN'T   YOU  TALK     (Holmes) 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  153 

CanH  You  Talk 

One  warm  sunny  day,  Baby  Carol  climbed  out  of  her  little 
bed.  She  crept  out  to  the  porch.  Patsy  dog  had  been  taking 
a  nap.  When  the  dog  heard  Baby  Carol  coming  she  sat  up  and 
looked  at  the  baby.  The  baby  Hkes  Patsy.  Patsy  Hkes  Baby 
Carol  too.  See  how  the  dog  looks  at  her!  Baby  is  looking  up 
into  the  dog's  face  as  if  to  say,  "Can't  you  talk?"  I  think 
Patsy  would  like  to  say:  "You  are  a  good  baby.  If  I  could 
talk,  I  would  tell  you  about  the  baby  puppies  out  at  the  barn. 
Some  day  I  will  bring  them  to  the  house  for  you  to  play  with. 
Would  you  like  to  play  with  the  baby  puppies?  No,  I  can't 
talk,  I  can  only  say,  'Bow-wow,  bow-wow.'  " 

TJic  Tea  Parly 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  girl  and  her  name  was 
Dorothy.  She  was  just  about  as  old  as  you  are.  One  day  it 
rained,  and  rained,  and  rained.  Of  course  Dorothy  couldn't 
go  out  to  play  when  it  rained,  could  she?  She  played  with 
her  dollies.  She  gave  a  little  tea  party  and  all  the  dollies  were 
there.  Sarah  Sue,  the  rag  doll,  was  there  too.  Of  course  she 
never  told  me  so,  but  I  think  Dorothy  loved  Sarah  Sue  more 
than  she  did  Anabella  Jane,  the  big  wax  doll  that  Aunt  Alma 
brought  her  from  the  city.  At  least  she  played  with  Sarah 
Sue  more  than  she  did  with  Anabella  Jane.  And  let  me  tell 
you,  some  other  folks  too  came  to  the  tea  party  besides  the 
dolls.  I  wonder  if  you  can  guess  who  they  were?  Yes — Peter- 
kin,  the  puppy,  and  Mullet,  the  little  black-and-white  kitten. 

Peterkin  said  he  would  have  his  tea  mostly  milk  and  drank 
a  whole  saucerful.  Muffct  said  she  didn't  like  tea  (which  was 
only  water  you  know),  and  she  had  milk  at  home.  The  dolls 
were  the  only  ones  who  seemed  to  care  for  the  tea.  Being 
very  polite,  they  didn't  say  anything. 

When  bedtime  came  mother  said  she  would  leave  the  kitten 
and  the  puppy  in  the  kitchen  till  she  had  put  her  Dorothy  to 


154  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


FAMILY  CARES     (Barnes) 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


155 


bed.  So  Dorothy  said  "Good  night"  to  Peterkin,  the  puppy,  and 
Muffet,  the  black-and-white  kitten,  and  invited  them  to  come 
again  to  her  tea  party.  Dorothy  was  ready  for  bed.  She  had 
said  her  httle  prayer  thanking  God  the  heavenly  Father  for 
her  happy  day  and  for  her  tea  party.  Just  then  she  heard  a 
funny  noise.  ''What's  that,  mother?"  Just  then  a  little  soft 
scratching  again  on  the  stair  carpet,  and  when  she  opened  the 
door  there  stood  Muffet. 

"Let  me  take  Muffet  downstairs,  won't  you,  mother?" 
And  when  she  had  gone  part  way  down  the  stairs  there  was 
Peterkin  trying  to  come  upstairs.  They  wanted  to  play  again 
with  Dorothy.  But  Dorothy  knew  that  kittens  and  puppies, 
just  like  little  boys  and  girls,  must  go  to  bed  early  and  get  plenty 
of  sleep.  So  she  put  Peterkin  and  Muffet  to  bed  and  then  ran 
back  for  mother  to  tuck  her  in  and  kiss  her  good  night. 


WlDl-:  AWAKE     (Adams) 


156 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


The  Three  Kittens 

Once  upon  a  time  there  were  three  Httle  kittens.  Their 
names  were  Mullet,  Fluffy,  and  White-Foot.  They  Hved  in 
a  basket  under  the  porch. 

Their  mother's  name  was  Tabby  Gray.  One  day  Mother 
Tabby  Gray  said,  'Tf  you  will  be  good  children,  I  will  bring 
you  home  something  good  for  dinner,"  and  off  she  ran  to  the 
barn.  For  a  while  the  three  httle  kittens  were  very  quiet. 
Then  Muffet  said,  'T  hear  mother  coming,"  and  she  sat  up  as 
straight  as  straight  could  be.  Fluffy  said,  'T  see  a  fly,  to  catch 
it  I  will  try."  But  just  then  Mother  Tabby  Gray  came 
home  and  soon  they  were  having  a  good  time  eating  their 
dinner. 

Stories  about  kittens: 

"The  Three  Little  Kittens  That  Lost  Their  Mittens."  "Mrs. 
Tabby  Gray,"  from  Mother  Stories,  by  Maud  Lindsay. 


I  Love  Little  Pussy. 


Old  Folk  Melody 


And      il        I     don't   hurt     her,    She'll     do      me      no     harm. 


Note. — For  the  old  folk  melody  by  Elliott  see  The  Mother 
Goose  Melodies,  published  by  McLaughlin  Brothers,  New  York, 
or  The  Most  Popular  Goose  Songs,  published  by  Hinds,  Hayden 
&  Eldredge,  New  York. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  157 

Autumn  Pictures  and  Stories 

The  autumn  and  winter  offer  many  opportunities  to  lead 
the  child  into  a  fuller  and  richer  appreciation  of  nature  and 
enjoyment  of  the  things  about  him.  While  the  religious  mean- 
ing of  his  environment  should  not  be  forced,  the  child  should 
constantly  be  led  to  think  of  God  and  feel  his  presence  in  all 
that  he  is  interested  in  and  enjoys. 

A  Talk  About  the  Trees 

(This  story-talk  should  be  used  in  the  autumn  when  the 
leaves  are  falling.) 

All  summer  long  the  little  green  leaves  have  been  swinging 
in  the  wind.  All  summer  long  the  little  green  leaves  have  been 
dancing  in  the  sunshine.  The  little  green  leaves  have  had  a 
good  time  talking  to  the  birds  which  came  to  build  their  nests 
in  the  trees.  All  summer  long  the  Httle  leaves  have  worn 
their  pretty  green  dresses.  But  one  day  it  begins  to  get  cold. 
Father  Tree  says  to  the  little  leaves,  "Play  time  is  nearly  over, 
dear  children;  you  had  better  put  on  your  winter  night  dresses. 
You  are  so  sleepy,  little  Yellow  Leaf,  and  you,  little  Brown 
Leaf!  And  you,  little  Red  Leaf,  why!  you  can  hardly  keep 
your  eyes  open!  I  think  it  is  time  all  you  Httle  children  went 
to  bed." 

Now,  what  do  you  suppose  these  little  leaf  children  said? 
I  am  afraid  they  must  have  been  hearing  the  way  Httle  girls 
and  boys  sometimes  talk.  Little  Yellow  Leaf  said,  ''0  father, 
it  is  such  a  pleasant  day,  we  do  not  want  to  go  to  bed." 

"Can't  we  play  for  just  a  little  longer?"  coaxed  Httle  Brown 
Leaf. 

And  little  Red  Leaf  hoped  that  Father  Tree  would  forget 
all  about  sending  them  to  bed. 

But  the  very  next  day  Father  Tree  said,  "Come,  children, 
it's  time  to  go  to  bed!"     The  wind  shook  the  tree;  the  Httle 


158         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

leaves  fell  softly  through  the  air.  Soon  all  the  little  leaf  chil- 
dren were  lying  on  the  ground.  There  lay  little  Yellow  Leaf 
and  httle  Red  Leaf  and  little  Brown  Leaf.  They  lay  very 
quietly  on  the  ground.  Soon  it  began  to  snow.  The  snow 
covered  them  over  with  a  white  blanket.  The  wind  cannot 
blow  them  about  when  they  are  covered  with  the  pretty  snow 
blanket.  The  blanket  kept  them  snug  and  warm.  Then  Father 
Tree  said,  "Good  night,  dear  Httle  children!"  And  little  Yellow 
Leaf,  Brown  Leaf  and  Red  Leaf  replied  ''Good  night,  dear 
father;  it's  so  nice  to  go  to  bed.  We  are  going  to  sleep." 
(Said  in  a  drowsy  way.) 

Note. — When  the  child  has  become  familiar  with  the  talk 
and  story,  the  poem  which  follows  may  be  read  or  recited.  As 
early  as  possible,  the  child  should  hear  good  poetry,  but  it  should 
be  within  the  range  of  his  understanding,  well  chosen  and  well 
read. 

How  the  Leaves  Came  Down 

I'll  tell  you  how  the  leaves  come  down; 

The  great  tree  to  his  children  said, 
"You're  getting  sleepy,  Yellow,  Brown — 

Yes,  very  sleepy,  little  Red, 

It  is  quite  time  you  went  to  bed." 

"Ah,"  begged  each  silly,  pouting  leaf, 

"Let  us  a  little  longer  stay. 
Dear  Father  Tree,  behold  our  grief; 

'Tis  such  a  pleasant  day 

We  do  not  want  to  go  away." 

So  just  for  one  more  merry  day 
To  the  great  tree  the  leaflets  clung, 

FroHcked  and  danced  and  had  their  way 
Upon  the  autumn  breezes  swung. 
Whispered  all  their  sports  among. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  159 

"Terhaps  the  great  tree  will  forget, 

And  let  us  stay  until  the  spring, 
If  we  all  beg,  and  coax  and  fret." 

But  the  great  tree  did  no  such  thing; 

He  smiled  to  hear  their  whispering. 

"Come,  children,  all  to  bed!"  he  cried; 
And,  ere  the  leaves  could  urge  their  prayer, 

He  shook  his  head,  and  far  and  wide, 
Fluttering  and  rustling  everywhere, 
Down  sped  the  leaflets  through  the  air. 

I  saw  them.     On  the  ground  they  lay, 
Golden  and  red,  a  huddled  swarm, 

Waiting  till  one  from  far  away. 

With  bedclothes  heaped  upon  her  arm. 
Should  come  to  wrap  them  safe  and  warm. 

The  great  bare  tree  looked  down  and  smiled; 

"Good-night,  dear  little  leaves,"  he  said; 
And  from  below  each  sleepy  child 

Replied,  "Good  night,"  and  murmured, 

"It  is  so  nice  to  go  to  bed." 

(By  Susan  T.  Coolidge,  in  Songs  of  the  Tree-Top  and  Meadow.  Through 
courtesy  of  the  Public  School  Publishing  Company.) 

Note. — This  story  may  be  used  as  a  play  story.  The  father 
or  the  mother  would  be  the  tree;  the  children  are  the  leaves, 
"Yellow,"  "Brown,"  and  "Red." 

Clara  Belle  Baker  Gay   LeaveS 


i6o 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


:=^: 


-• — • — n — b-ij ij_ 


:q: 


Play  -  ing  with  the        au-  tumn  breeze,      Whirl  -    ing,      twirl  -   ing 


r-.li-H •-•-^ •-•-•-, »-s-» •-s-^-i ^- 


:=|: 


-TZl- 


the 


air,. 


Fall 


here       and 


there. 


^ 


(From  Songs  For  A  Little  Child) 

1.  There  was  a  young  couple 

Who  lived  in  a  wood. 

Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

2.  In  a  tall  pine  tree 

Their  Httle  house  stood. 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

3.  All  summer  long 

They  came  and  went. 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

4.  They  hved  in  a  tree 

And  paid  no  rent. 

Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

5.  Their  house  was  lined 

With  feathers  and  wool. 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


i6i 


YOUNG  FREEHOLD     (Carter) 


i62  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

6.  With  babies  and  nuts 

It  was  more  than  full. 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

7.  When  winter  came, 

With  cold  and  snow — 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

8.  They  kept  them  warm, 

Though  the  wind  did  blow. 
Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

Q.     For  they  laid  them  down 
In  their  furs  to  sleep. 

Chippery,  chippery,  chee! 

10.     In  the  spring  they  awoke, 

With  a  "Cheep,  cheep,  cheep!" 

And  a  "Chippery,  chippery,  chee!" 

(From  The  Character  Building  Readers,  Ellen  E.  Kenyon- Warner.  Hinds, 
Hayden  &  Eldredge,  New  York.  Used  by  permission.) 

Birds  in  Winter  Time 

Look  at  the  pretty  httle  birds!  Can  you  count  them  all? 
Some  day  you  will  be  such  a  big  boy  (or  girl)  that  you  can 
count  them  every  one.  See  the  birds'  house.  Father  (or  bro- 
ther) made  the  house  for  the  birds  and  the  children  put  it  in  the 
apple  tree. 

When  winter  comes  and  snow  covers  the  ground  it  is  hard 
for  the  birds  to  find  seeds  and  worms  to  eat.  Then  mother 
will  put  a  pan  of  bread  crumbs  out  where  the  birds  can  find  it. 
Let  us  put  some  crumbs  out  on  the  window  sill  and  watch  the 
birds  eat  them.  Our  heavenly  Father  loves  the  Kttle  birds, 
and  he  feeds  them. 

Note. — At  a  kindergarten  school  in  E a  number  of  robins, 

blue  jays,   and  squirrels  have  become  very  tame  through  the 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


163 


"SPARROWS"     (Lauxj 


i64  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

children  feeding  them.      They  hop  on  the  ground  near  the  chil- 
dren with  no  thought  of  fear. 

Shall  we  sing  the  song  about  the  snowbirds  in  the  winter 
time?     They  like  to  have  crumbs  thrown  to  them. 

Snow  Birds 

(For  music  see  "Little  Chickens,"  page  139.) 
Hear  them  tweet,  tweet,  tweet, 
Little  snow  birds,  little  snow  birds, 
Hear  them  tweet,  tweet,  tweet, 
Let  us  throw  them  crumbs  to  eat. 

(From  Songs  For  A  Little  Child.) 

Note. — By  using  the  words,  "little  birdies,  little  birdies,"  in- 
stead of  "snow  birds,"  the  song  may  apply  to  any  birds. 

Grandmother  has  come  to  spend  Thanksgiving  with  the 
children.  She  is  holding  Little  Harriett  in  her  lap.  Grand- 
mother is  smiling  at  Baby  Harriett.  I  think  Grandmother  is 
saying,  "You  have  grown  to  be  a  big  girl  since  I  was  here  last 
summer."  Little  Harriett  is  looking  up  into  grandmother's 
face  as  if  to  say:  "I  don't  believe  I  remember  you,  but  you  are 
a  nice  grandmother."  The  other  children  are  glad  because 
grandmother  has  come  to  spend  Thanksgiving.  They  love  their 
grandmother.  She  tells  them  stories;  sometimes  she  has 
"goodies"  in  her  pocket  for  them. 

Grandmother 

I    know      a  dear  la  -   dy   with  white,  sil-  v'ry  hair,     As   she  sits   and 


knits     in    her      eas  -    y      chair;    She   tells    me    the     sto  -  ries,  she 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


^65 


^^ 


:^ 


\ — N — l^-j- 


--J  I     1 


^1— \ PS f 


^ 0- 


-d — •- 


t— i— -•- 


sings  me  the  songs  Of   what  she  used  to     do     when  she    was  young.  Who 


jsS5=e 


-- 1- 


y—yi 


-•—s>- 


=1=:q. 


=n=' 


:3,=q=5: 


I 


is  this  dear  la  -  dy  with  white  silv'ry  hair?  She's  my  dear  grand-moth-er. 


"GRANDMUTHKR" 


1 66  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Note. — After  the  song  has  been  sung  many  times  the  child 
will  enjoy  singing  the  last  line  by  himself,  "She's  my  dear  grand- 
mother." 

Grandmother^ s  Thanksgiving  Present 

It  was  going  to  be  the  nicest  Thanksgiving  Day  that  the 
Davis  children  had  known  for  a  long,  long  time.  Dear  Grand- 
mother Davis,  with  her  gray  curls  and  her  gold  spectacles  and 
her  twinkHng  smile,  was  coming  all  the  way  from  the  farm  to 
spend  the  day  with  them.  It  was  the  week  before  Thanks- 
giving, and  the  children  were  all  planning  wonderful  secrets 
and  all  manner  of  dehghtful  surprises  for  dear  grandmother. 

"I  shall  make  her  a  loaf  of  raisin  cake,"  said  Hilda,  who 
was  quite  a  grown-up  girl  now,  and  very  clever  at  cooking. 

"Well,  I  am  going  to  knit  grandmother  a  white  shawl,"  said 
Elizabeth.  "I'm  sure  that  I  shall  be  able  to  finish  it  in  a  week, 
and  I  know  that  grandmother  will  like  a  shawl  better  than  a 
cake." 

"And  what  is  our  Kttle  Peggy  going  to  do?"  asked  Mother 
Davis,  patting  the  Httle  girl's  brown  hair.  Peggy  was  a  very 
thoughtful,  kind  Httle  girl,  even  if  she  was  only  eight  years  old. 

"Oh,  Peggy  can't  make  anything  for  grandmother,"  said 
Hilda,  quite  decidedly.     "She's  much  too  small  a  child." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  EKzabeth,  "but,  of  course,  grandmother 
won't  expect  Peggy  to  do  anything  for  her." 

"Grandmother  will  be  happy  to  just  see  how  sweet  and  good 
Peggy  is,"  Mother  Davis  finished.  "Now  run  along,  dear,  and 
play." 

So  Peggy  went  upstairs  to  her  own  little  room,  but  instead 
of  playing  with  her  doll,  she  wrinkled  up  her  forehead  and 
thought  and  thought,  until  finally  she  thought  of  something 
nice  to  do  for  Grandmother  Davis'  Thanksgiving  surprise. 

Thanksgiving  was  a  beautiful,  sunny  day,  smelling  of  bon- 
fires and  orchards  and  pumpkins  out-of-doors,  and  of  turkey 
and  mince  pie  in  the  house.     Grandmother  Davis  came,  and 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  167 

everybody  was  happy  and  everybody  ate  a  great  deal  of  dinner. 
When  the  dinner  was  over,  Hilda  brought  in  her  raisin  cake, 
which  grandmother  thought  was  the  best  she  had  ever  tasted. 
Then  Elizabeth  wrapped  her  all  up  in  a  fleecy-white  shawl, 
and  grandmother  said  that  she  had  never  been  so  comfortable 
before  in  all  her  life. 

Last  of  all,  Peggy  slipped  out  of  her  chair  at  the  dinner  table 
into  grandmother's  lap. 

"I  made  you  a  Thanksgiving  present,  grandmother,  dear," 
she  said,  and  she  pulled  a  Httle  book  out  of  her  pocket. 

"Why,  bless  the  child!"  said  grandmother,  putting  on  her 
spectacles,  and  she  began  to  read  the  book. 

It  was  made  of  scraps  of  wrapping  paper  sewed  together, 
but  it  had  a  spray  of  red  leaves  painted  on  the  cover,  and  it 
was  labeled  in  printed  letters:  "Peggy's  Thankful  Book." 

The  first  page  said,  in  Peggy's  scribbled  writing:  "I  am  thank- 
ful for  my  mother,  more  than  anything  else."  Underneath 
the  writing  was  a  little  kodak  picture  of  Mother  Davis  that 
Peggy  had  taken  herself. 

The  next  page  said:  "I  am  thankful  that  dear  grandmother 
is  coming  to  see  us." 

Over  it  Peggy  had  drawn  a  little  picture  of  a  farmhouse  and 
a  country  road,  and  she  had  colored  the  house  red  and  the 
road  brown. 

There  were  other  pages  just  full  of  writing,  and  Peggy  had 
put  down  many  things  that  no  one  else  would  have  thought 
of:  how  she  was  thankful  for  keeping  her  temper,  and  for  the 
school  spelling  match  that  she  had  won,  and  for  a  red  apple, 
and  for  Tinker,  the  old  pussy. 

Grandmother  Davis  had  to  wipe  her  spectacles  before  she 
finished  reading  the  Thankful  Book,  and  Hilda  and  Elizabeth 
thought  that  Peggy's  gift  was  really  very  nice  indeed. 

(From  Sons;s  for  vSunday  Telliiig.  Carolyn  Sherwin  Bailey.  Published  by 
The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston.) 


i68  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

"Owe,  Two,  Three" 

It  was  an  old,  old,  old,  old  lady, 
And  a  boy  that  was  half -past  three; 

And  the  way  that  they  played  together 
Was  beautiful  to  see. 

She  couldn't  go  running  and  jumping, 
And  the  boy,  no  more  could  he; 

For  he  was  a  thin  little  fellow. 
With  a  thin  Kttle  twisted  knee. 

They  sat  in  the  yellow  sunhght. 

Out  under  the  maple  tree; 
And  the  game  that  they  played  I'll  tell  you, 

Just  as  it  was  told  to  me. 

It  was  Hide-and-Go-Seek  they  were  playing, 
Though  you'd  never  have  known  it  to  be, 

With  an  old,  old,  old,  old  lady. 
And  a  boy  with  a  twisted  knee. 

The  boy  would  bend  his  face  down 
On  his  one  little  sound  right  knee. 

And  he'd  guess  where  she  was  hiding. 
In  guesses  One,  Two,  Three! 

"You  are  in  the  china  closet!" 
He  would  cry,  and  laugh  with  glee — 

It  wasn't  the  china  closet; 
But  he  still  had  Two  and  Three. 

"You  are  up  in  papa's  big  bedroom, 
In  the  chest  with  the  queer  old  key!" 

And  she  said,  "You  are  warm  and  warmer; 
But  you're  not  quite  right,"  said  she. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  169 

"It  can't  be  the  little  cupboard 

Where  Mamma's  things  used  to  be — 

So  it  must  be  the  clothes-press,  Gran'ma!" 
And  he  found  her  with  his  Three. 

Then  she  covered  her  face  with  her  fingers, 
That  were  wrinkled  and  white  and  wee, 

And  she  guessed  where  the  boy  was  hiding, 
With  a  One  and  a  Two  and  a  Three. 

And  they  never  had  stirred  from  their  places, 

Right  under  the  maple  tree — 
This  old,  old,  old,  old  lady. 

And  the  boy  with  the  lame  Httle  knee — 
This  dear,  dear,  dear  old  lady. 

And  the  boy  who  was  half-past  three. 

(By  Henry  C.  Bunncr.     Through  courtesy  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.) 

TJie  Snowman 

One  night  when  Frank  was  getting  ready  for  bed,  he  looked 
out  of  the  window.  "O  mother,  look,"  he  said,  "it  is  beginning 
to  snow!"  Mother  came  to  the  window  and  they  watched 
the  snow  come  down.  "To-morrow  is  Saturday  and  we  wiU 
have  fun  making  a  snowman,"  said  Frank. 

The  next  morning  mother  didn't  have  to  call  Frank,  for  he 
was  up  bright  and  early.  He  ran  to  the  window  to  see  how 
much  it  had  snowed  during  the  night.  Yes,  the  ground  was 
covered  with  a  beautiful  carpet  of  white.  It  looked  as  if  it 
would  come  clear  up  to  his  shoetops  when  he  walked  in  it.  He 
could  hardly  wait  to  eat  his  breakfast,  but  mother  said  he  must 
have  a  good  breakfast  or  he  would  get  as  cold  as  the  snowman 
he  was  going  to  make. 

Lucy  and  Jeremy  lived  next  door.  They  too  wanted  to  help 
make  Mr.  Snowman.     First,  they  took  their  little  shovels  and 


170 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


THE   SNOWMAx\ 


made  a  pile  for  Mr.  Snowman  to  stand  upon.  Then  the  chil- 
dren began  rolling  the  snow  in  a  big  ball  for  his  body.  How 
they  all  three  tugged  and  pushed!  His  body  was  so  heavy, 
it  was  all  that  Frank,  Jeremy,  and  Lucy  could  do  to  hft  it.  The 
most  fun  was  to  make  the  head.  A  Httle  roll  of  snow,  and  the 
nose  was  done.  For  his  eyes  they  used  little  pieces  of  coal. 
Lucy  went  into  the  house  and  brought  out  her  old  straw  hat 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  171 

for  him.  Frank  said,  "I  think  Mr.  Snowman  needs  a  pair  of 
glasses,"  and  he  curved  two  twigs  to  look  like  the  rims  of  spec- 
tacles. They  fixed  a  mouth,  stuck  some  straws  in  his  chin 
for  whiskers,  and  sticks  for  his  arms.  Mr.  Snowman  was  now 
finished. 

"Now  what  shall  we  name  him?"  said  Jeremy.  Just  then 
they  saw  Grandpa  Latimer  coming  down  the  street.  He  had 
a  basket  on  his  arm  and  was  carrying  an  umbrella  for  a  cane. 
"O  let's  call  our  snowman  'Grandpa!'  "  and  because  Frank  was 
the  only  one  of  the  three  who  went  to  school,  he  printed  the 
letters  right  across  the  front  of  Mr.  Snowman,  GRANDPA. 
How  Grandpa  Latimer  laughed  when  he  saw  the  snowman! 

Suggestion  for  evening  prayer: 

Thanking  God  the  heavenly  Father  for  the  beautiful  snow 
and  all  the  happy  times  we  have  playing  with  it. 

Jolly  Santa  Clans 
(A  Father  Story) 

Such  a  jolly  fellow  is  dear  old  Santa  Glaus!  He  comes  at 
Christmas,  the  happiest  time  of  the  year.  I  don't  suppose 
you  ever  saw  him,  for  he  comes  after  little  boys  and  girls  are 
all  tucked  in  bed.  On  Christmas  Eve,  when  all  little  boys  and 
girls  are  sound  asleep,  Santa  Glaus  says  to  himself:  "I  must 
put  on  my  fur  cap  and  my  fur  mittens  and  my  big  high  boots. 
My  fur  suit  will  feel  good  to-night.  It's  jolly  cold  Out,  I'm  think- 
ing, but  I  won't  mind  the  cold."  "Ha!  ha!"  laughs  jolly  Santa, 
"it  makes  me  warm  and  happv  now  when  I  think  of  all  the 
little  boys  and  girls  I  shall  make  glad  this  night."  Then  Santa 
Claus  whistles: 

rne:zo=zq=:p:qz=q==p=c==z==D:^P3:^q=p=:cz=z=:q3 
F^-4:— •— F^ • [^— F-i •— F-» * ^~R- Hi 


172  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


JOLLY  SANTA  CLAUS 


which  means  "Oh,  Dancer,  come,  come!  Oh,  Prancer,  come, 
come!"  For  these  are  the  two  leaders  of  his  reindeer  team. 
If  you  weren't  so  sound  a«leep  you  could  hear  them  coming 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD  173 

on  the  roof.  Tritty-trot,  tritty-trot,  tritty-trot.  Then  dear 
old  Santa  Claus  comes  sliding  down  the  chimney  while  the 
little  reindeer  team  stand  on  the  roof  prancing  and  pawing, 
with  their  bells  tinkling.  They  are  eager  to  be  off  and  get  to 
the  next  house,  for  the  little  reindeer  are  jolly  too;  they  like 
the  fun  just  like  good  old  Santa  himself. 

Now  Santa  Claus  has  filled  the  tree  from  his  big  sack.  As 
he  stands  and  looks  at  it,  I  think  he  is  saying:  "There  are  some 
good  boys  and  girls  at  this  house.  I  wonder  if  I  have  remem- 
bered every  one  of  them.  Baby  Bunting  as  w^ell  as  Jackie  Lad 
and  Robeit  Roy  and  Sarah  Sue?  I  think  I  have  remembered 
them  all."  And  in  a  minute  I  hear  him  whistling  (music 
as  above). 

Other  Christmas  stories  the  child  will  enjoy: 

"'Twas    the    Night    Before     Christmas,"    by    Clement    C. 

Moore. 
"Santa  Claus,  A  Wonder  Story,"  by  Maud  Lindsay  in  A  Story 

Garden. 
"Hang   Up    the   Baby's    Stocking,"    by    Emily   Huntington 

Miller  from  Songs  of  the  Tree-Top  and  Meadow. 
"The  Little  Fir  Tree  That  Blossomed,"  by  Carolyn  Sherwin 

Bailey,  in  Stories  for  Sunday  Telling. 


Santa  Claus 


With     a     clat-  ter    on  the  roofs,  With  a   stamp  of     lit  -  tie  hoofs,  We 


^^-w- 


TE^. 


^- 


174         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


--A— 


— I — I- 


-^—g- 


-A—^, 


-*— »^- 


:^^: 


-g^      -0-  -•-    -     -    -  -•-  -•-  -»-  '     '    '  -•■ 

hear  old  San- ta  Glaus;   Trit-ty   trot, trit-ty  trot,  trit-ty  trot,  trit-ty  trot.   He 


, I- 


— — j — 1 ' ' r 


:^: 


:^ 


— zi- 


whis-  ties  and  sing8,and  the  bells  ting-  a-  ling;  We   love  you,  San  -  ta   Glaus. 


WE5: 


-ll- 


J- 


=i: 


-^— S— -^— — rg-T-na 
::1=it:=di=t=Eg±:d3 


The  Home  Relationships 
In  the  relationships  of  the  home  are  found  some  of  the  best 
opportunities    for    broadening    the    child's    development    and 
leading  him  to  understand  the  meaning  of  a  loving  heavenly 
Father. 

The  First  Step 

The  father  has  been  working  in  his  garden.  Mother  brought 
Baby  out  while  she  picked  something  from  the  garden  for 
their  dinner.  Just  as  she  came  through  the  gate,  father  said: 
'Tut  baby  down.  Let  us  see  if  he  can  walk."  And  here  he 
is  trying  to  take  his  first  step.  Father  is  reaching  out  his  arms 
and  saying,  "Come,  my  baby,  I  know  you  can  walk."  It  looks 
like  a  long  way  to  baby,  but  I  think  he  can  do  it.  Don't  you 
think  so? 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


175 


THE  FIRST  STEP     (Millet) 


The  Mother  and  Her  Child 

The  mother  in  the  picture  is  holding  the  httle  baby  in  her 
lap.  Perhaps  Little  Baby  has  been  playing  until  he  is  tired. 
Mother's  lap  is  such  a  good  place  to  rest  in,  isn't  it?  I 
think  mother  will  sing  to  the  baby  or  tell  him  a  story.  I 
think  mother  will  tell  him  about  the  little  lambs  that  have 
been  playing  all  day  in  the  pasture,  and  how  they  are  coming 
home  to  the  yard  where  they  will  be  safe  from  harm.  Mother 
will  tell  him  about  the  little  birds  that  are  just  learning  to 
fly.  They  have  been  trying  their  wings.  Mother  bird  has 
been  flying  from  tree  to  tree  helping  little  birds  to  fly.  But 
now,  they  too  are  tired  and  mother  bird  has  tucked  them 
under  her  wing,  cozy  and  warm.  They  are  fast  asleep.  I 
shouldn't  wonder  but  what  Little  Baby  was  getting  sleepy  too. 
What  do  you  think? 


176  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


THE  MOTHER  AND  HER  CHILD  (Max) 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


177 


Prayer : 

Dear  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  the  lambs 
and  the  birdies  and  all  little  babies  everywhere.  Watch  over 
us  while  we  sleep.     Amen. 


Going  to  Sleep 


Emilie  Poulsson 
Andantino. 


LEANOR  Smith 


^^=I^ 


k'— ^- 


-A— P.- 


-f» ^— ^— J 

■1 i^— P 


.What  do  you  think  Mother  saw   on  the  hill? 
!.  What  do  you  think  Mother  saw    in   the  shed? 
'.  Un  -  der  the  barn  can  you  guess  what  she  saw? 
:.  What  do  you  think  Mother  sees  while  she  sings? 


White  woolly  lambs  that  were 
Red  bos-sy  calves  that  were 
Cur-  ley  tailed  pigs  ly-  ing 
Fair-  est  and  dear-  est  of 


ly  -    ing  still, 
go     -      ing        to        bed. 

there       in        the  straw, 

all        sleep   -    y  things  ! 


White     wool  -  ly  lambs      by  the 

Qui    -     et      they  kept —  not        a 

By        their     big  moth  -   er  they 

Ba     -     by,     my       dar  -  ling!  How 


178         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


dim. 


rit. 


-A— A-fS*- 


•z=!LzL 


:t: 


'^^^^. 


white  wool-ly  sheep, —  All  had  stopped  play  and  were  go  -  ing  to  sleep. 

kick  nor  a   leap;      Frisk- ing    no  more,  they  were  go  -  ing  to  sleep. 

lay  in    a  heap;    Squeal-ing    no  more,  they  were  go  -  ing  to  sleep, 

qui     -  et  you  keep,       Hear-ing    of    an  -   i  -  mals   go  -  ing  to  sleep. 


From  Songs  of  a  Little  Child's  Day.     Published  by  Milton  Bradley  Com- 
pany, Springfield,  Mass.     Used  by  permission. 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


179 


Used  by  courtesy  of  the  Artist  and  the  Campbell  Art  Company,  owners  of  the  copyright. 

CUDDLIN'  TIME 


i8o  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Father^s  Treasure 


Emilie  Poulsson 

With  slow,  rocking  motion. 


Theresa  H.  Garrison 
PP 


1:4=:^=^ 


:q: 


Ri  -  dum  -  ree! 
Ri  -  dum  -  ree! 


Ri  -dum-  ree! 
Ri-dum-  ree! 


If       a    king:  should  come  to     me       And  should  say,  "I'll     here    lay  down 
I    would  hold     my      ba  -  by   tight,     For    she     is       my  heart's  de  -  light, 


All     my  king  -  dom  and    my  crown  If  you'll  give  me  that  dear    ba 
And    the  king  should  (Omit 


FOR  THE  YOUNG  CHILD 


i8i 


— -=:3:=3: 


That  dear  ba  -  by  on  your  knee;"   nev  -  er,  nev  -  er  Get  ray  dear  a 

"         "  '  -4- 


P 


•,      »     If  rit.                                     <       I  I 

^_   I I J JJ-fl-   ._ 


Fi=d=3: 


r:^ 


Ped.^Ped.^Ped.    4t 


(From  Father  and  Baby  Plays,  by  Emilie  Poulsson.     Used  by  courtesy  of 
the  PubUshers,  The  Century  Company,  New  York.) 


CHAPTER  XIII 
PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 

What  the  eye  sees  is  learned  much  more  readily  than  what 
the  ear  hears.  The  great  advantage  in  the  use  of  picture  stories 
is  that  while  the  ear  is  hearing,  the  eye  is  taking  in  the  beauty 
of  the  picture  and  the  truths  it  presents. 

The  picture  stories  are  designed  for  the  first  religious  stories 
that  will  appeal  to  the  little  child.  The  form  and  wording  of 
the  stories  are  meant  to  be  suggestive  only.  The  mother,  under- 
standing the  development  of  her  own  child,  will  use  the  words 
and  phrasing  peculiar  to  herself  and  thus  adapt  them  to  suit 
her  child.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  tell  these  stories  to  the  young 
child  for  the  first  time  without  the  older  children  of  the  family 
hearing  them  or  taking  any  part.  With  their  greater  develop- 
ment the  older  children  will  see  things  more  quickly  and  answer 
more  readily,  so  that  the  younger  child  will  not  get  the  benefit 
he  would  otherwise  in  being  led  to  see  things  in  the  picture 
and  answer  the  questions  for  himself. 

The  stories  from  the  pictures  may  first  be  given  when 
the  child  is  about  three  years  of  age.  It  must,  of  course,  be 
taken  into  account  that  some  children  develop  earlier  than 
others,  but  the  mother  usually  knows  how  much  her  child 
can  grasp  in  meaning.  She  should  become  perfectly  familiar 
with  every  story  before  telling  it,  making  it  completely  her 
own. 

In  telling  the  story  from  the  picture,  give  only  the  simplest 
things  about  it.  Do  not  go  into  detail  about  the  surroundings 
of  the  Child  except  as  required  by  the  story.  Let  the  main 
thought  be  about  the  Child  and  the  mother, 

182 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  183 


HOLY  NIGHT     (Correggio) 

The  Cl/rislmas  Story 
(Number  One) 

Do  you  see  the  baby  in  the  picture?  The  mother  has  her 
arms  around  the  baby  as  he  h'es  on  his  httle  bed.  The  mother 
loves  her  baby  just  as  mother  loves  you.  As  she  smiles  down 
at  him,  she  is  talking  to  him.  She  is  telling  him  how  much 
she  loves  him  and  how  glad  she  is  that  God  sent  her  this  won- 
derful baby.  The  name  of  this  baby  is  Jesus.  He  is  a  tiny 
baby  now  as  you  see  him  in  the  picture,  fast  asleep  in  his  mother's 


1 84 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


arms.  Some  day  he  will  grow  to  be  a  boy  as  big  as  you  are. 
Shall  mother  sing  to  you  the  song  about  the  baby  Jesus?  Per- 
haps you  can  sing  it  with  her. 


Luther's  Cradle  Hymn 

(Written  by  Martin  Luther  for  his  children.) 


It 


-ft — 7—n- 


1.  A  -  way    in       a     man-  ger,     No   crib   for    a    bed,   The     lit  -  tie  Lord 

2.  The  cat  -  tie     are     low  -  ing,  The  ba  -  by      a-wakes,  But     lit  -  tie  Lord 


=j: 


J_4_ 


P 


?^-4Et=Ep= 


•(9- 


=]: 


}^.-. 


:q=::: 


--z^- 


:=i: 


^ 


Je  -  sus    Laid  down  His  sweet  head,     The 
Je  -  sus,   No      cry  -  ing   he     makes.       I 


stars  in     the   heav-  en  Look'd 
love   thee,  Lord  Je  -  sus!  Look 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


i8s 


:t^? 


z:\zzr 


-^- 


17 


_p — *_ 
±=zt: 


1 


down  where  he    lay,     The    lit  -  tie  Lord  Je 
down  from  the   sky,    And  stay  by  my   era 


sus,   A  -  sleep  on    the     hay. 
die     Till  morn-  ing   is     nigh. 


:d--; 


m 


-: — 1=2- 


tt: 


^ 


1 


:=1: 


;5i — ' 


Used  by  the  courtesy  of  Clayton  F.  Summy  Company,  Chicago,  owners  of 
the  copyright. 

Prayer : 

Dear  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  the  dear 
baby  Jesus.    May  we  learn  to  love  him.     Amen. 

The  Christmas  Story 
(Number  Two) 

The  child  will  enjoy  the  Christmas  story  from  time  to  time 
as  he  grows  older,  and  it  should  be  a  part  of  his  Christmas 
every  year.  He  will  probably  come  to  ask  questions  about  it, 
which  should  be  carefully  and  reverently  answered.  The  first 
story  may  be  retold  and  something  like  the  following  added: 

Do  you  see  the  baby's  little  bed?  It  is  not  like  yours,  but  is 
made  soft  with  hay  in  a  box.  Do  you  see  there  are  some  people 
looking  at  the  baby?  They  smile  and  say,  "What  a  wonderful 
baby  this  is!"  Joseph  is  standing  by  the  donkey.  The  donkey 
is  turning  its  head  to  see  this  wonderful  baby  too !  Joseph  and 
the  mother  are  very  happy  because  God  sent  them  their  baby. 

Can  you  sing  with  mother  our  Christmas  song? 

(Use  the  first  verse  of  Luther's  Cradle  Hymn  again,  singing 
it  a  number  of  times.) 


i86         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


HOLY  NIGHT     (Correggio) 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  187 

Prayer : 

Dear  God,  we  are  glad  for  the  dear  baby  Jesus  you  sent  at 
Christmas  time.     Amen.  • 

Tlie  Christmas  Story 
(Number  Three) 

Note. — Use  the  same  picture  as  in  the  preceding  story.  The 
story  should  be  told  rather  slowly,  with  such  detail  added  as  the 
child  will  understand.  The  form  may  be  somewhat  like  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Joseph  and  Mary  had  to  take  a  journey.  They  had  to  take 
a  long  trip  far  away  from  home.  When  we  go  on  a  journey 
we  sometimes  ride  on  the  train,  or  we  go  in  the  automobile. 
But  when  Joseph  and  Mary  made  their  journey  there  were 
no  trains  or  automobiles,  so  the  people  rode  on  donkeys  or 
horses  or  on  camels. 

Joseph  led  out  his  donkey  from  the  stable  where  he  kept 
it  at  night.  He  fed  it  and  gave  it  water  to  drink.  He  patted 
it  and  brushed  its  coat  carefully,  for  he  was  good  to  his  donkey. 
He  talked  to  it  and  told  it  they  were  going  on  a  long  journey. 
They  must  be  very,  very  careful,  for  mother  was  going  with 
father.  Mother  would  ride  on  the  donkey,  and  they  must  go 
very  slowly,  so  that  she  should  not  get  tired. 

The  journey  took  a  long  time.  They  traveled  many  days. 
One  night  they  came  to  the  city  of  Bethlehem.  Father  said, 
"We  will  go  to  the  inn."  (Explain  that  an  inn  is  a  hotel,  or  a 
big  house  where  people  stay  when  they  are  away  from  home.) 
"And,  Mary,  you  must  go  to  bed  right  away.  You  are  very 
tired,  for  you  have  been  riding  on  Jocko's  back  all  day." 

But  what  do  you  think!  The  man  who  kept  the  inn  told 
them  that  he  didn't  have  another  room  left.  Many  other 
people  had  to  go  to  the  city  too,  and  the  inn  was  full;  it  would 
hold  no  more.    But  the  man  who  kept  the  inn  was  kind,  and 


i88  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

he  said  to  Joseph:  "I  am  sorry  there  is  no  room  in  the  inn  for 
you  and  Mary.  You  can  lind  a  nice  clean  place  on  the  hay 
in  the  stable  to  Stay  to-night.  To-morrow  perhaps  there  will 
be  room  in  a  house  for  you." 

So  Joseph  and  Mary  went  to  stay  in  the  stable  as  the  man 
had  told  them.  And  that  very  night  God  sent  the  baby  Jesus 
to  them.  This  wonderful  baby's  first  bed  was  the  sweet  clean 
hay  which  the  cows  and  the  donkeys  had  to  eat.  The  heavenly 
Father  sent  the  little  Lord  Jesus  to  make  Joseph  and  the  mother 
happy  and  to  make  us  happy  too. 

In  the  picture  the  angels  are  looking  down  at  the  baby  Jesus. 
They  have  been  singing  glad  songs  about  him,  telhng  how  he 
has  come  to  make  us  happy.  This  (the  story  is  told  at  Christ- 
mas time)  is  Jesus'  birthday.  We  are  so  happy  that  we  will 
sing  our  Christmas  song  about  him. 

Song: 

"Luther's  Cradle  Hymn." 
Prayer : 

Dear  God,  we  thank  thee  that  the  little  Lord  Jesus  came 
at  Christmas  time  to  make  us  happy.     Amen. 

The  Angels  and  the  Shepherds 

That  wonderful  night  when  God  sent  the  little  baby  Jesus, 
there  were  shepherds  out  in  the  field  watching  their  flocks  of 
sheep.  The  shepherds  kept  watch  over  their  sheep  by  day  and 
they  also  kept  watch  over  them  by  night.  On  that  beautiful 
night  when  Jesus  came  the  stars  were  shining  overhead.  The 
shepherds  were  sitting  on  the  ground  watching  by  their  sheep. 
They  were  talking  to  each  other.  Suddenly  they  saw  a  light  up  in 
the  sky.     One  shepherd  said,  "Look,  what  is  that  up  in  the  sky?" 

Another  shepherd  said,  "It  is  an  angel." 

Soon  the  light  grew  brighter,  and  in  the  sky  they  heard  angels 
singing.     They  were  singing  about  the  wonderful  Jesus  who 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


189 


THE  APPARITION  TO  THE  SHEPHERDS     (Plockliorst) 


I  go 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


would  come  to  make  the  people  happy.     He  would  bring  joy 
and  gladness  to  the  whole  world. 

The  shepherds  said  to  each  other,  "Let  us  go  and  see  if  we 
can  find  this  wonderful  baby."  So  each  shepherd  took  his 
staff  or  his  crook  in  his  hand  and  they  set  out  to  find  the  place 
where  the  baby  was.  There  was  a  shining  bright  star  in  the 
sky.  The  star  seemed  to  show  them  which  way  to  go.  The 
shepherds  followed  the  star.  After  they  had  walked  a  long 
time,  they  came  to  a  stable.  One  shepherd  said,  "Let  us  look 
here,  for  the  angel  said,  'You  will  find  the  baby  in  a  manger.'  " 
So  the  shepherds  went  in  and  they  found  the  baby  Jesus  with 
his  mother  tenderly  watching  over  him. 

Prayer : 

Dear  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  for  the  dear  baby 
Jesus.     Help  me  to  be  always  loving  and  kind  like  Jesus.     Amen. 


p.  w.  B. 


Bethlehem  Lullaby 


Arr.  Brahams 


^^=1= 


:? — ^ — ^-  ^ n— :i— t 

A 1 1 •-T 1 1 — h 


-4 ^- 


1.  Long     a  -  go,    there  was     born        In     the     cit    -   y 

2.  Je   -   sus  came      as      a        child     Prom  his     Fa  -  ther 


s=a 


-\~ 


^] 


I 
of     Dav  -  id, 

in     heav  -  en, 


|=^I=ti= 


:^=fc 


A         sweet,    ho 
And  has  shown    us 

^   ^    I     I 


I-  -•-  ^^        -J-  I  -•-  -*- 


ly        Babe,     Who  was     Je 
the       way        To      be      lov 

^    ^ 


-^=0=f 


-1- 


sus      our    king, 
ing      and    kind. 


geii 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


191 


i 


rr- 


W^^^^ 


An  -    gels       sang      at     his      birth,     "Lul  -  la   -    by,   peace      on     earth," 
While  the       stars   sang    a    -  bove,     "Lul  -  la   -    by,     God       is       love," 


11^ 


— J- 


1/ 


—I ^-  -■ — 0-^ — I— 

•-    V-    T  * 


An  -   gels      sang     at     his      birth,     "Lul  -  la  -   by,       peace     on      earth." 
While  the      stars  sang     a  -    bove,     "Lul  -  la  -   by,         God       is        love." 


-&f- 


:^=:*: 


4- 


5=z|: 


^j 


1 


y^—pz- 


Used  by  courtesy  of  P.  W.  Blackmer. 


ADORATION  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS  (Murillo) 


192  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

TJic  Shepherds^  Visit  to  the  Baby  Jesus 
The  shepherds  have  come  to  see  the  baby  Jesus.  The  mother 
is  showing  the  baby  Jesus  to  the  shepherds.  See  how  pleased 
they  are  as  they  look  at  the  baby!  Do  you  see  the  little  lamb 
one  shepherd  has  at  his  knee?  I  think  he  has  brought  the 
little  lamb  to  give  to  the  baby  Jesus.  I  think  that  the  httle 
girl  and  her  mother  too  are  bringing  something  to  Jesus.  I 
wonder  what  they  have  brought  to  him.  Would  you  like  to 
give  something  to  baby  Jesus?  What  else  do  you  see  in  the 
picture?  I  think  the  oxen  are  wondering  about  the  baby  and 
what  he  is  doing  there. 

Note. — The  mother  might  develop  the  idea  of  giving.  There 
are  many  little  boys  and  girls  who  do  not  have  the  pretty  toys 
that  you  have.  And  some  little  children  need  shoes  and  stock- 
ings and  warm  caps  and  mittens.  When  we  give  to  other  little 
boys  and  girls  in  the  right  spirit  it  is  just  the  same  as  giving  to 
Jesus 

Prayer : 

Dear  God,  we  thank  thee  for  our  warm  caps  and  mittens. 
Take  care  of  all  the  little  boys  and  girls  everywhere.     Amen. 

Song: 

''Bethlehem  Lullaby." 

The  Journey  to  the  New  Home 

When  Baby  Jesus  was  about  two  years  old  the  father  said 
to  the  mother,  "Mother,  I  think  we  shall  have  to  take  another 
journey.    The  king  of  this  place  doesn't  like  little  babies." 

Mother  said,  'T  think  then  we  had  better  go  to  a  place  where 
the  king  does  like  little  babies.  We  must  go  to  a  place  where 
our  little  baby  will  be  safe  from  harm.  I  will  be  ready  and  we 
must  go  this  very  day." 

In  the  picture  you  can  see  the  father  and  mother,  with  Baby 
Jesus,  resting  for  a  while  on  their  journey  to  the  new  home. 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


193 


REPOSE   IN  EGYPT     (S.  Benz) 

Do  you  see  the  baby's  clothes  lying  on  the  edge  of  the  basket? 
And  do  you  see  there  is  a  small  pool  of  water'  just  in  front  of 
them?  Do  you  think  the  baby  has  had  a  nice  cool  bath  in  the 
water?  Baby  loved  the  water  in  a  tiny  pool  like  this.  He 
played  with  it  and  patted  it,  but  it  wouldn't  stay!  He  tried 
holding  it  but  it  just  ran  through  his  little  fingers.  The  little 
waves  in  the  water  seemed  to  say,  "You  can't  catch  us,  little 
baby;  we  too  are  out  for  a  play."  The  bright  sunbeams  too 
wanted  Little  Baby  to  play  with  them.  So  they  danced  on  the 
water  and  ran  up  to  him  very  close,  but  baby  could  not  catch 


^  Use  word  most  familiar  to  the  child.  It  may  be  pool,  pond,  lake,  or  river. 
After  the  introduction  to  any  story,  it  is  better  to  speak  of  Jesus  as  "Baby" 
or  "Little  Baby."  We  should  keep  the  reverential  tone  without  becoming 
too  familiar. 


194         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

them.     O  no,  they  were  too  quick  for  that!     O,  what  a  good 
time  baby  had  in  the  pool! 

But  now  Little  Baby  is  resting  on  mother's  lap.  Father  has 
filled  the  water  jug  so  that  they  can  have  a  cool  drink  on  the 
journey.  And  good  old  Jocko,  how  quietly  he  stands!  He 
seems  to  know  he  must  go  very  carefully,  for  mother  and  Little 
Baby  will  ride  upon  his  back  again  to-day. 
Prayer : 

Dear  God,  we  thank  thee  for  fresh  water  to  drink,  for  the 
merry  sunshine  and  all  that  makes  us  glad  and  happy.     Amen. 

The  New  Ho?ne 
The  father  and  the  mother  and  Baby  Jesus  are  in  their  new 
home.  The  king  in  this  place  is  kind  to  little  babies  and  they 
are  very  happy.  Baby  Jesus  is  lying  on  his  mother's  lap  fast 
asleep.  If  he  were  awake  what  do  you  think  he  would  say  to 
the  little  lamb?  (The  child  may  Hke  to  tell  what  he  thinks 
Jesus  would  say  to  the  lamb.)  See  how  the  lamb  is  rubbing 
his  nose  on  the  mother's  knee  and  reaching  up  his  head.  I 
think  if  little  lamb  were  able  to  talk,  he  would  say,  "Nice  little 
baby,  can't  you  come  and  play  with  me?"  Father  Joseph,  too, 
looks  pleased  and  happy.  See  how  he  looks  down  at  Little 
Baby  as  he  leans  on  his  crook.  Father  loves  Little  Baby  just 
as  mother  does.  The  mother  is  thanking  God  for  her  child. 
She  prays  that  the  heavenly  Father  will  care  for  him;  that 
he  will  grow  to  be  a  good  boy,  kind  to  father  and  mother  and 
to  those  around  him. 

-J — ^—^ 


! — j-Fd— 3-3-F F^ — ^-^— F=5 — ^-Fn— F — Tl 


Sleep,  my    Ba  -  by,  sweet -ly   sleep;     God    will  guard  you  while  you  sleep. 

j^-j  -0-    -«.-  J  Q  I  .,.     .^         I       ^  I      1^ 


-t2 5_c5?3i:riz:c;sniic:*:tzj~i^crz=:in:3"sj~*i 

-K2 — Z-txz •_tg:i_t_t»z:f vry — St  i  r*""^* 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


195 


THE  HOLY  FAMILY     ,1.....,.^..., 


196         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


SISTINE  MADONNA     (Raphael) 


Mother  and  Baby 

This  is  a  picture  of  the  Baby  Jesus  and  his  mother.  The 
baby  is  bigger  than  when  we  saw  him  in  the  stable.  Do  you 
think  he  likes  to  run  about  and  play?  Do  you  suppose  he 
can  say  "father"  and  "mother,"  just  as  you  can?  See  how 
tenderly  mother  is  holding  him  with  his  head  pressed  against 
her  cheek!  She  loves  dear  Baby  and  is  very  happy  to  have 
her  dear  baby. 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


197 


Note  :  The  two  Madonna  pictures  which  follow  tell  their  own 
story  of  mother  love  and  of  the  Child.  Mothers  will  love  to 
look  at  them  with  their  children  and  tell  such  simple  stories  or 
make  such  explanations  as  will  turn  the  interest  and  affection 
of  each  child  to  the  child  Jesus. 


MADONNA  OF  THE  CHAIR     (Raphael) 


1 98  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


MADUxWA     (Budeuhausen) 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  199 


DIVINE  SHEPHERD     (MuriUo) 


Jesus  and  tlic  Lamb 


Jesus  is  now  grown  to  be  a  big  boy.  Do  you  think  he  is 
as  big  as  you  are?  And  the  httle  lamb  has  grown  to  be  a  big 
sheep.  What  good  times  they  have  playing  together!  What 
do  you  suppose  the  little  Boy  has  in  his  left  hand?  Yes,  you 
might  call  it  a  stick,  but  the  real  word  for  it  is  "crook."  You 
can  say  "crook,"  can't  you? 


200  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  father  has  some  sheep  and  uses  the  crook  when  he  takes 
them  to  the  big  pasture.  If  a  Httle  lamb  stumbles  or  falls, 
he  reaches  out  his  crook  and  gently  puts  it  around  the  body 
of  the  lamb  and  helps  it  to  get  up  again.  So  Little  Boy  too 
wants  a  crook. 

Helping  Father 

Little  Boy  Jesus  is  now  big  enough  to  help  Father  Joseph. 
Jesus  likes  to  help.  Father  Joseph  is  a  carpenter.  Do  you 
know  what  a  carpenter  is?  He  is  a  man  who  builds  our  houses. 
He  has  a  saw  and  a  hammer  and  nails.  Some  day  we  will  go 
and  see  where  a  carpenter  is  building  a  house. 

Little  Boy  Jesus  has  watched  Father  Joseph  at  his  work 
ever  since  he  was  a  baby.  Mother  hkes  to  be  where  father 
is,  so  she  brings  Little  Boy  out  where  he  can  play  and  have  a 
good  time.    Mother  sits  on  the  steps  with  her  work. 

One  day  Father  Joseph  needs  some  tools  for  his  work.  Little 
Boy  Jesus  runs  and  gets  them.  Father  Joseph  says  to  mother: 
"See  how  Little  Boy  Jesus  can  help."  And  Little  Boy  Jesus 
is  very  happy  to  think  he  can  help  Father  Joseph. 

Note:  Through  this  lesson  the  mother  may  develop  the 
thought  of  helpfulness.  She  asks  the  child:  "What  can  you 
do  to  help  father?"  "What  can  you  do  to  help  mother?" 
Through  encouragement  the  little  child  may  be  taught  many 
little  acts  of  kindness  and  courtesy. 

Prayer : 

Dear  God,  I  thank  thee  for  father  and  mother.  Help  me 
always  to  be  smiling  and  helpful.     Amen. 

Appropriate  songs: 

"The  Child  Jesus,"  from  Songs  for  a  Little  Child. 
"Useful,"  from  Songs  of  a  Little  Child's  Day. 
"The  Carpenter,"  from  Songs  For  a  Little  Child. 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  201 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  CHRIST     (Hotmann) 


202 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  203 

The  Journey  to  Jerusalem 

Note. — In  order  that  there  will  not  be  too  much  of  a  gap  be- 
tween the  infancy  and  the  manhood  of  Jesus,  the  story  of  "Christ 
and  the  Doctors"  is  here  given  under  the  above  title.  If  the 
child  is  not  old  enough  to  understand  it,  this  story  may  be  omit- 
ted for  a  time. 

When  the  boy  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old  (compare  this  age 
with  some  boy  the  child  knows)  Joseph  said  to  the  mother 
one  day,  "Is  it  not  time  that  we  made  ready  for  our  journey 
to  Jerusalem?"  When  the  boy  heard  this,  he  was  very  happy, 
for  he  too  was  to  go — his  very  first  journey  to  the  great  city. 
It  would  take  them  four  long  days,  father  said,  but,  oh!  it  was 
a  wonderful  journey  to  Jerusalem.  You  see  the  friends  and 
neighbors  all  were  to  go  together.  Some  of  them  would  ride 
on  donkeys,  some  of  them  on  horses,   and  some  would  walk. 

The  road  was  through  a  beautiful  country.  Sometimes 
the  boy  Jesus  would  go  skipping  on  ahead,  stopping  to  pick 
the  flowers.  Then  he  would  run  back  to  mother,  and  give 
her  the  lilies  he  had  found.  Sometimes  he  would  climb  the 
rocks  and  shout,  he  was  so  glad  and  happy  about  everything. 
Oh,  it  was  great  fun  to  be  out  of  doors  all  the  time,  hearing  the 
birds  sing  and  picking  the  beautiful  flowers. 

At  night  they  slept  out  of  doors.  Some  of  them  slept  in 
tents,  and  the  boy  Jesus  could  look  up  at  the  stars  shining 
down  on  him.  Mother  came  and  sat  down  by  his  side  just 
as  she  did  at  home  and  they  talked  together.  She  had  told 
him  many  things  about  God,  the  heavenly  Father,  and  before 
he  went  to  sleep,  the  boy  Jesus  thanked  God  for  this  journey, 
the  flowers,  and  the  birds  and  beautiful  stars. 

When  they  reached  the  edge  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  the 
men  said,  "We  will  put  up  our  tents  right  here  where  it  will 
be  cool  and  quiet."  Many,  many  people  had  come  to  Jerusalem 
too,  and  it  was  noisy  in  the  city  and  very  warm.  But  every 
morning   Jesus  would    go   to   the   temple   (possibly  the  word 


204         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

"church"  or  "God's  house"  might  be  used,  or  explain  how  the 
church  used  to  be  called  a  temple).  He  went  with  his  father 
and  mother.  There  were  many  people  together  in  the  temple. 
Some  of  the  men  were  talking  about  God,  the  heavenly  Father. 
Jesus  listened  to  everything  they  said.  At  night  Joseph  and 
Mary  and  Jesus  went  back  to  their  tents  to  sleep.  They  stayed 
three  days  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  they  were  happy 
days  for  the  boy  Jesus.  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day, 
Joseph  said  to  the  mother,  "We  must  get  ready  for  our  journey 
home.  Our  friends  and  neighbors  are  preparing  to  return." 
But  when  they  had  traveled  some  distance  they  found  the  boy 
was  not  with  them.  They  thought  he  was  with  some  of  the 
friends  or  neighbors  and  were  not  troubled  about  him. 

Then  the  mother  said  to  Joseph,  "Where  is  our  boy?  I 
have  not  seen  him  since  we  started  home."  They  could  not 
find  him  anywhere  in  the  company.  Of  course  they  felt  very 
anxious  and  said,  "We  must  go  back  to  Jerusalem  and  find  him." 

Now,  where  do  you  suppose  they  found  Boy  Jesus?  In  the 
temple  talking  with  the  wise  men.  Do  you  see  that  one  of 
them  is  holding  the  Great  Book?  They  have  been  asking  Jesus 
questions.  They  wonder  how  he  knows  so  much  about  God. 
They  do  not  know  of  the  many  beautiful  talks  he  and  his  mother 
have  had  together  about  God. 

Just  then  mother  and  Joseph  came  in  and  found  him.  Can 
you  think  how  glad  mother  was  to  find  her  boy?  Mother  said: 
"We  have  hunted  for  you  everywhere  and  felt  very  anxious 
about  you.  We  were  afraid  you  were  lost."  But  he  told  his 
mother  not  to  feel  anxious  about  him,  because  he  was  in  God's 
house  learning  about  the  heavenly  Father. 

Prayer : 

Dear  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  thank  thee  the  boy  Jesus 
loved  the  birds  and  the  flowers  and  the  stars.  We  love  them 
too.     We  praise  thee.     Amen. 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


205 


MADONNA  AND  CiilLD     (Jans/.cn) 


2o6  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

A  Talk  About  the  Boy  Jesus 

The  boy  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old  when  we  talked  about 
him  in  our  last  story.  You  see  Httle  boys  grow  to  be  big  boys 
and  big  boys  grow  to  be  men.  Your  father  was  once  a  little 
boy  like  you.  He  liked  to  run  and  jump  and  play  with  other 
boys  just  as  you  do.  When  Jesus  was  a  boy  he  played  with 
his  brothers.  He  helped  Father  Joseph  and  his  mother.  He 
brought  water  from  the  well  for  his  mother.  He  knew  about 
tools  and  could  help  Father  Joseph  about  the  carpenter  shop. 
He  grew  to  be  a  big  boy.  He  kept  on  growing  until  he  became 
a  man.  And  when  he  grew  to  be  a  man  he  too  was  a  carpenter 
like  Father  Joseph.  But  he  hked  best  of  all  to  talk  to  the  people 
about  God,  the  heavenly  Father. 

If  the  child  is  a  girl  make  comparisons  of  age  and  size  with 
sister  or  some  other  girl  the  child  knows,  then  with  yourself. 
It  may  be  somewhat  difficult  for  the  child  to  understand  about 
Jesus  being  a  baby,  then  a  little  child  and  then  a  grown  up 
man.  The  mother  should  give  some  such  preparatory  talks 
as  these  to  pave  the  way  for  the  stories  that  follow. 

Jesus  and  the  Child 
This  is  a  story  about  Jesus  when  he  had  grown  to  be  a  man 
as  big  as  your  own  father,  kind  and  good  to  everybody.  One 
day  after  Jesus  had  been  talking  to  the  people  he  sat  down 
on  a  seat  to  rest.  Little  children  were  playing  near.  Just  then, 
little  David  looked  up  from  his  play.  He  saw  Jesus,  the  man 
with  the  kind,  beautiful  face.  Jesus  looked  at  David  and  said, 
"Little  David,  come  to  me."  And  he  took  David  up  in  his 
arms  and  talked  to  him.  What  do  you  think  Jesus  is  saying 
to  him?  Jesus  loves  little  children  very  dearly.  No  wonder 
David  looks  so  happy. 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS  207 


JESUS  AND  CHILD     (Balheim) 

Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children 


W.  J.  Mathams 


^^=^'- 


q=^: 


^^      -0-      ^       •        •        •       -g        J 


11=1: 


— 


Je  -  sus,  friend  of      lit  -  tie    child  -  ren,   Be      a  friend  to     me; 


Pif 


~l- 


'^- 


i^ 


4=g 1=q 


-J-^ 


■«-=—* 


208 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


,=i=t- 


iiii:^! 


i 


#:■ 


m 


Take  my     hand    and      ev  -  er      keep    me       close       to      Thee. 


3 


:q==^ 


--^- 


Christ  Blessing  Little  Children 

Jesus  loved  to  have  the  Httle  children  gathered  around  him. 
This  must  have  been  a  lovely  day  in  spring,  and  the  children 
have  been  gathering  flowers.  Is  there  one  Httle  girl  with  a 
wreath  on  her  head?  The  fathers  and  mothers  have  been 
listening  to  what  Jesus  was  saying  to  them.  The  children  have 
been  playing  about,  having  a  good  time  by  themselves.  But 
now  Jesus  has  finished  speaking  to  the  fathers  and  mothers 
and  Rebecca  says  to  Ruth,  "Let  us  go  and  see  the  man  with 
the  kind,  beautiful  face." 

A  man  who  heard  her  said,  "You  must  not  bother  Jesus,  for 
I  know  he  is  tired."  But  when  Jesus  heard  this  he  said,  "Let 
the  little  children  come  to  me,  for  I  love  them  very  dearly." 
So  the  little  children  gathered  around  him,  for  they  know  that 
Jesus  loves  them.  Do  you  see  the  little  boy  sitting  on  his  lap? 
See  how  he  is  looking  up  into  the  face  of  Jesus !  See  how  happy 
the  little  girl  is  because  Jesus  has  his  hand  on  her  head!  Do 
you  see  the  little  boy  reaching  his  hand  up?  I  think  he  wants 
to  say,  "Dear  Jesus,  please  put  your  hand  on  my  head  too." 
And  a  httle  boy  has  some  flowers.  Do  you  think  he  wants  to 
give  them  to  Jesus?  Yes,  I  think  he  does.  I  am  glad  that 
Ruth  and  Rebecca  and  Mary  and  David  and  John  were 
all  there.  Do  you  suppose  there  was  any  little  boy  or 
girl  there  of  your  name? 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


209 


CHRIST  BLESSING  LITTLE  CHILDREN     (Plockhorst) 


2IO 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


I  Think  When  I  Read 


think     when     I       read    that   sweet  sto  -  ry       of      old,     When 


5* — ^^^-4 


F=l^=^=^= 


^-#— •- 


Je  -  sus  was  here      a  -  mong  men,     How  he  called  lit  -  tie    chil-dren   like 


lambs  to     his    fold, —  I  should  like     to  have  been  with  him     then; 


&i=f=:! 


-5 5— L^- 


I    wish    that     his    hands     had  been  placed  on      my    head,     That  his 


tJ 


•-I ^-= gt — I— ^ — I 1 — N — K-^ — ^ — \ — ^ — ^ — ^ — •-H 


arm     had  been  thrown  around  me;       And  that   I  might  have  seen  his   kind 


It: 


-p — • 


t=Ml 


wm^ 


look  when   he    said,  "Let  the   lit  -  tie   ones  come    un  -  to     me." 


Jesus  the  Good  Shepherd 
This  is  a  picture  ol  Jesus.  Jesus  is  the  Good  Shepherd.  The 
Shepherd  loves  his  sheep  and  his  httle  lambs.  They  love  their 
Shepherd  too.  They  know  the  Good  Shepherd  leads  them  out 
to  the  beautiful  pastures  where  they  can  eat  the  green  grass. 
They  know  the  Good  Shepherd  always  finds  the  clear,  fresh 
water  for  them  to  drink  when   they  are  thirsty.     The  Good 


PICTURE  STORIES  ABOUT  JESUS 


211 


THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD    (Plockhorst) 


212 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


Shepherd  loves  them  so  much  he  knows  the  name  of  every 
Httle  lamb  and  every  big  sheep.  Very  often  he  calls  to  them. 
They  hear  his  voice  and  run  to  him,  for  they  know  the  Good 
Shepherd  loves  them  and  cares  for  them. 

AU  day  long  the  sheep  and  the  little  lambs  have  been  eating 
the  grass  or  playing  in  the  sunshine.  Now  they  are  coming 
home,  for  the  sun  is  going  down.  Sometimes,  when  a  httle 
lamb  is  very  tired  the  Good  Shepherd  takes  it  up  in  his  arms 
and  carries  it.  The  little  lamb  feels  safe  and  contented,  and 
the  mother  sheep  is  happy  too. 

Do  you  see  what  the  Shepherd  has  in  his  left  hand?  I  thought 
you  would  remember.  What  does  the  Shepherd  do  with  his 
staff  or  crook?  (Probably  the  child  will  want  to  tell.  If  not, 
the  mother  tells  how  the  shepherd  uses  it.)  When  night  comes, 
and  they  are  home,  the  Good  Shepherd  opens  the  door  of  the 
sheep  fold  (or  yard),  and  as  they  go  in  through  the  door,  he 
counts  them  every  one  to  see  that  not  one  is  left  out  alone. 
Then  the  door  is  shut  and  they  are  safe.  The  Good  Shepherd 
cares  for  them  and  watches  over  them  while  they  sleep. 


Prayer : 

Dear  God,  I  thank  thee  I  am  Jesus'  httle  child, 
be  kind  and  good  to  everybody.     Amen. 


Help  me  to 


Jesus,  Tender  Shepherd 


Maey  L.  Duncan 


Je- 

1 — r 

f  * 

sus,  ten- 
1 

1 

1 — 

s 

der 

1 

-•-     •    -•-    -•- 

3hep-herd,hear  me,  I 

J    J    J    .1 

i^--a-^ 

*  T  * 

Jless  thy    lit  - 

1 

-A— 

— 1 — 

— • — 
-•- 

tie  c 

1 

-9r 

-•- 

hiid 

r* — 

-4- 

— 1 — 
-•— 

-•- 
to- 

-<s- 

night; 

^r^~- 

(2- 

■|~          r 

-^ (2- 

-M- 

''4  1: 

\" 

1 

1                       1 

L 

\ 

I 

1 

THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT 


213 


'^=T 


•-     •     S     •     •    :•:    1    ■      • 


^ 


Through  the  dark-ness    be    thou  near  me;  Keep  me    safe   till  mnrn-ing  light. 

\-r-\ 


'-t- 


-I h»- 


d'-rJ 


i 


CHAPTER  XIV 

STORIES  FROM  THE  OLD  AND  THE 
NEW  TESTAMENT 

While  the  Bible  is  rich  in  story  material  for  children  it  is 
rather  diflEicult  to  adapt  any  large  number  of  the  stories  for 
the  very  youngest  children.  Fortunately,  this  is  not  required, 
since  young  children  like  to  have  the  same  story  told  over  and 
over.  Several  of  the  stories  which  follow  are  suitable  for  chil- 
dren of  three,  four,  or  five  years.  The  Joseph  stories  can  be  used 
as  early  as  four  years,  especially  if  the  child  is  accustomed  to 
hearing  Bible  stories.  The  picture-stories  about  Jesus  will 
have  helped  to  prepare  the  way  for  interest  and  understand- 
ing. 

The  Baby  Moses 

Long,  long  ago  there  was  a  king  who  was  a  very  wicked  man. 
He  was  cruel  to  the  people  who  worked  for  him,  and  made  them 
work  very  hard.  He  did  not  like  the  little  boy  babies  of  the 
people  who  worked  for  him  and  wished  to  get  rid  of  them  all. 

When  God  sent  the  little  baby  Moses,  the  mother  said  to  the 
father,  "Let  us  hide  our  little  baby,  so  that  the  wicked  king 
cannot  find  him  to  harm  him."  So  for  a  time  they  hid  him  away 
and  the  wicked  king  did  not  find  him. 

When  Baby  Moses  had  grown  to  be  three  months  old  the 
mother  said,  "I  think  we  must  find  a  better  place  to  hide  our 
baby,  for  he  is  getting  so  big  that  some  one  will  hear  him  laugh 
or  cry  and  go  and  tell  the  wicked  king  about  him." 

They  took  a  basket  and  fixed  it  like  a  little  boat  so  that 
it  would  float  on  the  water.  Then  they  put  Baby  Moses  in 
the  basket  and  carried  it  down  to  the  river.    They  placed  the 

214 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  215 

little  basket-boat  among  the  reeds  and  bushes  at  the  edge 
of  the  water,  so  that  it  would  not  float  off  down  the  river;  for 
if  the  basket-boat  should  float  down  the  river,  they  might  never 
see  their  dear  little  baby  again. 

Now,  the  baby  had  a  sister  who  loved  him  very  dearly.  The 
name  of  the  sister  was  Miriam.  Miriam  said,  "I  should  like 
to  stay  down  by  the  river  and  see  that  no  harm  comes  to  baby 
brother."  The  father  and  mother  thought  this  was  a  good 
plan,  so  Miriam  went  down  to  watch  by  the  edge  of  the 
river. 

And  what  do  you  think  did  happen?  The  daughter  of  the 
wicked  king  came  down  to  the  river  to  bathe.  She  was  walk- 
ing along  by  the  edge  of  the  river  with  her  maids.  She  heard 
something  that  sounded  like  a  little  baby  crying.  "Dear  me! 
what  do  you  suppose  that  sound  is,  and  what  is  that  there  by 
the  river?"  she  asked  of  Leah,  her  maid.  "It  surely  sounds  like 
a  baby  crying.  O  Leah,  please  hurry  and  get  that  little  basket; 
bring  it  to  me  quickly." 

When  the  maid  had  brought  the  basket  there  was  the  dear 
little  baby  crying  for  his  mother.  The  daughter  of  the  king 
said,  "I  should  love  to  have  this  little  baby  for  my  very  own," 
and  she  took  him  in  her  arms  and  held  him  close.  Then  she 
said,  "But  I  do  not  know  how  to  care  for  a  little  baby." 

All  this  time,  Miriam,  the  sister  of  baby  Moses,  was  watch- 
ing them  as  they  were  looking  at  the  little  baby.  She  came  up 
to  the  daughter  of  the  king  and  said,  "I  know  a  kind  woman 
who  would  take  very  good  care  of  the  baby." 

And  the  daughter  of  the  king  said,  "I  am  so  glad  that  you 
know  of  a  kind,  good  woman.     Go  and  bring  her  to  me." 

Then  how  happy  Miriam  was!  She  ran  as  fast  as  she  could 
and  brought  her  own  mother  down  to  the  river.  Now,  the 
daughter  of  the  king  did  not  know  that  the  woman  was  the 
mother  of  the  baby,  and  she  said,  "I  have  found  this  dear  little 
baby  in  a  basket-boat  in  the  river.    I  will  pay  you  money  for 


2i6  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

taking  good  care  of  the  little  baby.    And  when  the  baby  is  older 
so  he  can  talk,  bring  him  to  my  house." 

So  the  mother  had  her  dear  baby  again,  and  he  was  safe  from 
harm.  The  mother  and  father  thanked  God  for  their  baby, 
and  were  very  glad. 

Note:  This  story  may  be  used  as  a  play  story.  It  may  be 
played  by  as  small  a  number  as  the  mother  and  two  children  or 
by  the  mother  and  one  child.  In  this  case  a  doll  may  be  used 
for  the  baby  Moses.  The  mother  may  be  the  mother  of  Moses 
and  the  daughter  of  the  king  too.  If  there  are  more  children, 
they  may  be  used  as  maids,  or  one  of  them  may  be  the  daughter 
of  the  king.  The  father  may  be  the  father  of  Moses  and  the  king. 
The  play  story  opens  with  a  family  scene  with  Baby  Moses  in  the 
center.  They  talk  about  the  baby,  how  much  they  love  him; 
how  bad  they  feel  because  the  king  doesn't  like  little  boy  babies. 
If  entered  into  reverently,  there  could  be  a  little  prayer  to  the 
heavenly  Father  to  help  them  find  a  safe  place  for  the  baby.  The 
rest  of  the  play  follows  naturally  from  the  story. 

David  the  Shepherd  Boy 

A  long,  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  boy  named  David.  He 
lived  in  a  far-away  country  where  there  were  many  sheep. 
David's  father  had  many  sheep.  Every  day  David  took  the 
sheep  out  to  the  pasture,  where  they  ate  the  green  grass  and 
drank  the  cool  water  from  the  brook.  David  was  called  a  shep- 
herd because  he  cared  for  the  sheep. 

David  loved  to  watch  the  sheep.  When  a  little  lamb  became 
tired,  he  would  pick  it  up  and  carry  it  in  his  arms.  When  a 
sheep  caught  its  woolly  coat  on  a  bush  and  could  not  get  loose, 
he  would  set  it  free.    He  was  very  good  to  his  sheep. 

In  the  country  where  David  lived  there  were  fierce  lions 
and  bears.  They  hid  in  caves  and  among  the  rocks.  If  no 
one  was  watching  over  the  sheep,  a  lion  or  a  bear  would  run 
out  and  snatch  away  a  little  lamb  or  a  sheep. 

One  day  a  great  lion  came  out  from  the  woods  and  stood 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  217 

looking  at  the  sheep.  I  suppose  the  Hon  was  thinking,  "What 
a  fine  dinner  one  of  those  lambs  would  make!" 

The  lion  did  not  see  David,  but  David  saw  the  lion.  David 
carried  in  his  hand  a  big  stick,  and  before  you  could  whistle 
three  times  he  ran  at  the  lion  just  as  it  started  to  snatch  up  a 
little  lamb.  He  hit  the  lion  a  great  blow  on  its  head  with  his 
stick,  and  killed  it  dead. 

So  David  saved  his  sheep  from  the  lion,  and  every  day  he 
watched  over  them  very  carefully.  David's  sheep  knew  his 
voice  and  would  come  running  to  him  whenever  he  called  them 
by  name. 

The  Ark  Upon  the  Waters^ 

In  the  long,  long  ago  there  was  a  very  old  man  whose  name 
was  Noah.  Noah  had  loved  God  and  done  good  all  the  days 
that  he  had  lived.  One  day  God  told  Noah  that  a  great  storm 
was  coming  and  that  it  would  rain  for  forty  days  and  for  forty 
nights.  He  told  Noah  to  build  an  ark  that  would  ride  upon 
the  waters.  Noah  was  to  build  it  big  enough  to  hold  himself 
and  his  wife,  his  three  sons,  Ham,  Shem,  and  Japheth,  and 
their  wives,  and  two  of  every  kind  of  living  creature. 

Noah  did  as  God  told  him,  and  when  the  ark  was  finished 
Noah  went  in  and  Noah's  wife;  Ham  went  in  and  Ham's  wife; 
Shem  went  in  and  Shem's  wife;  Japheth  went  in  and  Japheth's 
wife.  Then  every  kind  of  living  creature  followed  two  by  two, 
birds  and  bees,  lions  and  bears,  tigers  and  elephants,  camels 
and  cows,  and  all  the  rest  that  you  could  name. 

When  they  were  safely  inside  it  began  to  rain.  The  sky  was 
covered  with  great,  gray  clouds  heavy  with  drops  of  water, 
and  the  rain  fell  all  day  and  all  night  for  forty  days  and  for 
forty  nights.  It  was  like  a  great  lake  or  the  big  ocean  every- 
wnere — water,  water,  water,  and  never  the  sight  of  land;  but 


'  From  The  Bible  in  Graded  Story,  Vol.  I,  by  Edna  Dean  Baker  and  Clara 
Belle  Baker.    The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 


2i8  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Noah  and  his  wife  and  his  sons  and  their  wives  and  all  the 
living  creatures  were  safe  in  the  ark. 

By  and  by  it  stopped  raining  and  the  wind  began  to  blow 
and  the  sun  to  shine  and  the  waters  to  dry  up.  After  forty 
days,  Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark  and  sent  forth  a 
dove,  but  the  dove  could  find  no  place  to  rest  the  soles  of  her 
feet  and  so  she  came  back  into  the  ark.  After  seven  days  had 
passed,  Noah  sent  out  the  httle  dove  again.  In  the  evening 
she  returned  with  a  green  olive  leaf  in  her  bill.  Noah  waited 
another  seven  days  and  then  let  the  dove  fly  away  once  more. 
This  time  she  did  not  come  back  to  the  ark  and  Noah  knew  that 
she  had  found  the  land. 

Noah  looked  out  from  the  window  of  the  ark  and  he  saw  that 
the  waters  were  gone  and  that  there  was  earth  everywhere. 
And  God  said  to  Noah,  "Go  forth  from  the  ark,  thou  and  thy 
wife,  and  thy  sons  and  their  wives  with  thee.  Bring  forth 
with  thee  every  living  thing."  Noah  and  his  wife  came  forth, 
and  Ham  and  his  wife,  and  Shem  and  his  wife,  and  Japheth 
and  his  wife,  and  the  bees  and  the  birds,  and  the  lions  and 
the  bears,  and  the  tigers  and  the  elephants,  and  the  camels 
and  the  cows,  and  all  the  rest  that  you  could  name. 

Then  Noah  thanked  the  Lord  God  for  taking  care  of  them 
and  for  bringing  them  safe  through  the  great  storm  when  the 
waters  covered  the  earth. 

The  Lost  Lamb 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  good  shepherd  who  had  a 
hundred  sheep.  Every  morning  he  led  them  out  where  the 
green  grass  was  growing  and  the  little  brook  ran  by.  There 
they  fed  until  the  sun  was  setting  in  the  west;  then  the  shep- 
herd led  them  back  to  the  fold. 

One  day  while  the  lambs  were  playing  on  the  green  and 
the  old  sheep  were  eating  the  grass  and  drinking  the  cool  water 
the  shepherd  saw  that  a  storm  was  gathering.     Dark  clouds 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  219 

covered  the  sun  and  big  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall.  The  shep- 
herd called  the  lambs  and  sheep  and  started  quickly  back  to 
the  fold.  In  the  haste  one  little  lamb  fell  behind  the  others 
and  was  lost,  but  the  shepherd  did  not  know  it. 

When  he  reached  the  fold  he  opened  the  door  and  let  the 
sheep  and  the  lambs  go  in  one  by  one.  He  counted  them — one, 
two,  three,  four,  five,  six,  seven,  eight,  nine,  ten,  until  he  reached 
ninety-five,  ninety-six,  nighty-seven,  ninety-eight,  ninety-nine! 
One  was  missing.  Where  was  that  little  lamb?  Night  was 
coming  on,  and  it  must  be  found! 

The  shepherd  carefully  fastened  the  door  of  the  sheepfold. 
He  took  his  crook  and  shepherd's  cloak  and  went  out  in  the 
stonii  and  darkness  to  find  the  little  lamb  that  was  lost.  He 
called,  but  at  first  no  answer  came  back  to  him.  He  called  and 
called,  and  by  and  by  he  heard  a  faint  "Baa-baa."  Then  he 
hastened  in  the  direction  of  the  cry,  calling  again.  From  a 
deep  hole  at  the  side  of  the  road  he  heard  the  "Baa-baa,"  louder 
now.  In  the  hole  where  it  had  fallen  he  saw  the  little  lamb 
looking  pleadingly  up  at  him. 

He  climbed  down  the  steep  bank  until  he  could  reach  the 
lamb  with  his  crook.  Very  carefully  he  lifted  it  up  and  put 
it  on  his  shoulder.  It  was  dark  and  it  was  storming.  The 
shepherd  had  torn  his  clothes  and  hurt  his  hands,  but  he  sang 
for  joy  because  he  had  found  the  lamb  that  was  lost. 

When  he  came  to  the  fold  he  put  it  on  a  bed  of  warm  hay; 
he  bathed  its  bruises,  and  gave  it  milk  to  drink.  Then  he 
called  his  friends,  and  said,  "Come  rejoice  with  me,  for  I  have 
found  my  lamb  that  was  lost!" 

The  Three  Wise  Men^ 

When  the  baby  Jesus  was  born  there  were  living  in  another 
country  three  Wise  Men.     The  three  Wise  Men   had  read  in 


^  This  story  is  best  adapted  to  the  child  of  six  or  seven  years. 


220  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

an  old  book  that  the  baby  Jesus  would  be  born,  and  that  he 
would  make  all  the  people  happy.  But  they  did  not  know 
when  the  baby  would  come  nor  where  his  home  would  be. 

The  old  book  which  the  wise  men  read  told  them  that  when 
this  wonderful  baby  was  born  there  would  be  a  new  star  in 
the  sky.  Every  night  the  Wise  Men  went  out  of  their  houses 
and  looked  at  the  stars  to  see  if  a  new  star  had  come  in  the 
sky  to  tell  that  the  baby  had  been  born.  They  watched  for  the 
new  star  for  a  long  time.  One  night  they  saw  it  shining  in  the 
sky,  a  new  star,  beautiful  and  bright  and  clear. 

"It  is  the  new  star,"  they  said.  "We  will  go  and  see  this 
wonderful  Jesus."    And  they  started  out  to  find  him. 

The  Wise  Men  rode  on  camels.  They  sat  high  on  their  camels 
and  the  camels  stepped  softly.  The  only  sound  was  the  tinkling 
of  the  little  brass  bells  that  were  tied  in  the  harness  on  the 
camels'  heads.  When  the  camels  moved  their  heads  the  little 
bells  rang. 

The  Wise  Men  made  their  journey  at  night,  and  the  new 
star  seemed  to  move  across  the  sky  and  show  them  where  to 
go.  They  rested  during  the  day,  for  the  sun  was  hot  and  they 
could  not  see  the  star.  The  Wise  Men  put  up  little  tents  on 
the  sand,  and  rested  while  the  sun  was  shining.  When  night 
came  they  rode  on,  following  the  star.  It  was  a  long  journey. 
One  morning  they  stopped  in  a  city  and  asked  the  people  there 
if  they  knew  where  they  would  find  Jesus  who  had  come  to 
make  the  people  happy  and  teach  them  how  to  love  each  other. 
But  the  people  had  never  heard  about  Jesus,  so  the  Wise  Men 
rode  away.  It  was  dark  and  the  star  was  shining;  it  seemed 
to  lead  them  across  the  sand  to  another  city.  This  city  was 
the  town  of  Bethlehem  where  the  baby  Jesus  lived! 

The  camels  kneeled  and  the  Wise  Men  got  down  from  their 
backs  and  went  in  and  found  the  baby  Jesus  in  his  mother's 
arms.  How  glad  they  were!  They  had  brought  presents  to 
Jesus.     They  gave  him  presents  of  gold  and  other  beautiful 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  221 

gifts.  Then  the  Wise  Men  kneeled  and  thanked  God  that 
they  had  been  led  by  the  star  to  find  the  baby  Jesus.  They 
thanked  God  for  Jesus  our  Saviour  who  would  bring  joy  and 
gladness  to  the  whole  world. ^ 

Pictures  to  accompany  the  story; 

'The  Three  Wise  Men  Following  the  Star,"  by  W.  L.  Taylor. 
"The  Wise  Men  on  Camels,"  Providence  Lithograph  Company. 

Stories  About  Joseph^ 

The  Coat  of  Many  Colors 

This  is  a  story  about  a  boy  who  lived  a  very  long  time  ago 
— hundreds  and  hundreds  of  years  ago.  His  name  was  Joseph. 
I  think  the  father  and  mother  had  as  many  as  twelve  children. 
That  is  a  good  many  children  for  one  family.  With  so  many 
brothers  and  sisters  it  would  seem  that  they  could  have  many 
good  times  together,  wouldn't  it?  It  would  be  almost  like 
having  a  party  all  the  time. 

One  day  the  father  gave  Joseph  a  beautiful  coat  which  he 
had  made  for  him.  You  never  saw  a  coat  just  like  it  I  am  sure. 
It  was  very  fine  and  it  had,  O,  so  many  beautiful  colors  in  it. 
I  think  there  must  have  been  blue  and  gold  and  red  and  purple 
in  it.    Perhaps  there  were  still  other  colors  also. 

Joseph  was  very  much  pleased  with  his  new  coat  and  ran 
to  show  it  to  his  brothers.  He  thought  they  would  be  pleased 
too  because  he  had  so  fine  a  coat,  but  they  were  not.  No,  they 
were  not  pleased.  They  did  not  like  Joseph  to  have  a  better 
coat  than  they  had,  and  they  said  very  cross  things  to  him 
and  made  him  feel  very  bad,  I  am  sure. 

So  pleased  was  Joseph  with  his  new  coat  that  he  said,  "I 

1  Adapted  from  the  story  of  "The  Three  Wise  Men"  in  A  First  Primary 
Book  in  ReHgion,  by  Elizabeth  Colson.  Published  by  The  Abingdon  Press, 
New  York. 

2  The  stories  about  Joseph  which  follow  are  intended  for  children  of  five 
or  six  years  of  age. 


222  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

think  I  will  wear  my  fine  coat  every  day."  He  ran  to  his  father 
and  put  his  arms  about  his  neck  and  said,  "Thank  you,  father, 
for  my  pretty  coat  of  many  colors." 

The  SJieep 

Joseph's  father  owned  a  great  many  sheep.  I  don't  suppose 
you  could  count  a  half  of  them. 

It  was  the  work  of  the  big  brothers  to  take  the  sheep  out 
to  the  pasture  where  they  could  eat  the  fresh  green  grass.  They 
watched  over  the  sheep  so  that  no  harm  could  come  to  them. 
You  see  if  they  didn't  keep  watch  over  them,  a  lion  or  a  bear 
might  come  running  out  of  the  woods  and  snatch  away  a  little 
lamb  or  a  sheep. 

Sometimes  they  had  to  take  the  sheep  a  long  way  from  home 
to  find  good  pasture  for  them.  There  were  so  many  sheep  that 
they  would  soon  eat  all  the  grass  in  the  pastures  near  home. 
When  they  took  the  sheep  a  long  way  from  home  they  would 
be  gone  for  a  number  of  days  at  a  time. 

One  time  the  big  brothers  had  been  gone  with  the  sheep  for 
a  long  time.  The  father  became  anxious  about  them.  He 
loved  his  boys  and  wanted  to  make  sure  that  no  harm  had  come 
to  them  or  their  sheep. 

So  one  day  the  father  called  Joseph  to  him  and  asked  him 
if  he  would  go  and  look  for  his  brothers.  The  father  wanted 
to  know  how  they  were  getting  along  with  the  sheep.  Joseph 
was  glad  to  go  on  a  journey;  he  would  have  a  fine  trip  looking 
for  his  brothers  and  the  sheep. 

Going  on  an  Errand 

Joseph  was  glad  to  go  and  look  for  his  brothers.  He  was 
always  obedient  and  liked  to  do  the  things  his  father  asked 
him  to  do. 

He  was  happy  to  wear  his  coat  of  the  beautiful  colors.  Some 
of  the  way  was  through  the  woods  and  along  by  the  river.    He 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  223 

whistled  as  he  went  along,  and  the  birds  sang  in  the  trees  over- 
head. 

And  now  comes  the  sad  part  of  my  story.  The  big  brothers 
saw  Joseph  coming  a  long  way  off.  They  could  tell  him  by 
his  coat  of  the  beautiful  colors.  They  began  talking  among 
themselves.  They  said,  ''Let  us  put  Joseph  into  this  deep  pit 
and  dip  his  coat  in  the  blood  of  an  animal  and  father  will  think 
some  wild  animal  has  killed  him."  For  they  were  angry  with 
Joseph  and  did  not  want  him  for  their  brother.  So  they  put 
Joseph  into  the  pit,  which  was  a  deep  hole  in  the  ground.  There 
was  no  water  in  the  pit,  so  he  was  not  hurt  at  all. 

Then  the  big  brothers  thought  they  would  eat  their  dinner. 
Just  as  they  were  sitting  down  on  the  ground  to  eat  their  dinner, 
they  saw  a  long  line  of  camels  coming.  On  the  backs  of  the 
camels  were  men  who  were  making  a  journey  to  sell  the  spices 
and  jewelry  and  whatever  they  had  in  their  sacks. 

The  big  brothers  decided  to  sell  their  brother  to  these  travel- 
ers instead  of  leaving  him  in  the  pit;  the  man  on  the  camels 
would  take  him  a  long,  long  way  from  home  and  that  would 
be  the  last  of  him — so  they  thought.  And  they  sold  him  for 
twenty  pieces  of  silver! 

When  the  big  brothers  got  home  they  held  up  Joseph's  coat 
before  their  father's  eyes.  They  had  dipped  it  in  the  blood  of 
a  goat.  The  father  thought  that  Joseph  had  been  killed  on 
the  way  by  some  wild  animal.  His  father  grieved  for  him 
many  days. 

But  the  heavenly  Father  was  watching  over  Joseph  so  that 
no  harm  should  come  to  him. 

Joseph  Goes  to  Egypt 

This  story  about  Joseph  turns  out  something  like  a  fairy 
story.  At  first  he  was  only  a  little  slave  boy  in  the  country 
of  Egypt  where  he  was  sold,  but  finally  he  came  to  live  in  the 
house  of  the  king.     He  was  always  kind  and  good  and  every- 


224  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

body  loved  him.  He  had  a  chariot  to  ride  in  and  beautiful 
horses  to  draw  the  chariot. 

Of  course  he  often  thought  of  his  father  and  brothers  and 
wished  he  might  send  them  word  that  he  was  alive  and  well. 
But  when  Joseph  lived — it  was  such  a  long  time  ago — they 
could  not  send  letters  to  each  other  as  we  can  now.  All  that 
he  could  do  was  to  pray  that  the  heavenly  Father  would  let 
him  help  those  who  were  at  home. 

The  best  part  of  my  story  is  that  in  a  few  years  Joseph  was 
able  to  see  his  father  and  brothers  again  and  to  help  them. 
There  came  a  time  when  there  was  no  rain  for  weeks  and  months. 
There  was  no  rain  to  speak  of  for  several  years.  The  grass 
was  all  dried  up  in  the  pastures;  the  corn  did  not  grow  in  the 
fields.  The  people  had  nothing  to  eat.  This  is  called  a  famine. 
How  Joseph  gave  his  father  and  brothers  food  is  told  in  our 
next  story. 

How  Joseph  Gave  Food  to  his  Father  and  Brothers 

Every  morning  Father  Jacob  would  say,  "Perhaps  it  will 
rain  to-day  and  then  the  corn  will  grow."  But  the  days  came 
and  went  and  there  was  no  rain.  The  corn  in  the  fields  could 
not  grow,  and  even  the  grass  was  brown  and  dry.  One  day 
Father  Jacob  called  his  children  to  him  and  said,  "I  think  some 
of  you  must  go  to  Egypt  and  buy  corn  for  us,  or  we  shall  starve!" 

"Let  me  go,  father,"  spoke  up  Reuben,  the  oldest  brother. 

'T  should  like  to  go  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn,"  said  Simeon. 

And  the  other  brothers,  Levi  and  Benjamin,  and  Gad  and 
Asher — in  fact,  I  think,  most  of  them  wanted  to  go.  And 
Father  Jacob  decided  they  might  all  go  but  Benjamin.  It 
was  best  for  one  son  to  stay  with  father,  you  know. 

So  they  took  their  sacks  and  journeyed  to  Egypt  to  buy 
corn.  When  they  came  to  Egypt  they  went  straight  to  the 
governor's  house,  for  they  were  told  it  was  the  governor  who 
was  selling  the  corn. 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  225 

Now,  who  do  you  suppose  the  governor  was?  It  was  really 
Joseph,  their  own  brother.  But,  of  course,  they  did  not  dream 
that  their  little  brother  whom  they  sold  as  a  slave  had  become 
an  officer  in  the  king's  court!    But  it  was  so. 

When  Joseph  saw  them  coming  into  the  room  he  said  to 
himself:  "These  are  my  brothers,  but  I  shall  not  tell  them 
who  I  am  at  first.  I  am  going  to  ask  them  questions  and  hear 
what  they  have  to  say  about  father.  I  shall  find  out  whether 
they  are  telling  the  truth." 

And  Joseph  asked  them  many  questions.  They  told  him 
all  about  their  father — how  he  had  twelve  sons,  how  one  of 
them  was  away  from  home  and  they  did  not  know  what  had 
become  of  him,  how  the  littlest  brother  stayed  at  home,  so  that 
nothing  should  happen  to  him  such  as  happened  to  their  brother 
Joseph. 

Then  Joseph  said  something  which  made  them  feel  very 
sad.  It  was:  'T  will  not  let  you  go  home  until  you  promise 
to  bring  Benjamin  back  with  you." 

The  brothers  said:  "Our  father  grieves  now  because  of  what 
happened  to  Joseph.  He  will  never,  never  let  us  take  Ben- 
jamin away  from  home."  But  Joseph  was  stern  and  said 
again:  "Unless  you  bring  Benjamin  back  with  you  you  cannot 
have  any  more  corn.  If  you  do  this  I  will  know  you  are  tell- 
ing the  truth." 

And  to  test  them  still  more  he  told  them  he  would  keep  their 
brother  Simeon  with  him  until  they  returned. 

They  were  very  sad  indeed  when  they  started  home.  They 
felt  now  how  wrong  it  was  for  them  to  sell  their  brother  Joseph, 
and  they  were  very  sorry  for  what  they  had  done.  And  the 
hardest  part  of  all  was  to  tell  their  father  everything  that 
Joseph  had  said  they  must  do  before  they  could  have  any 
more  corn. 

At  first  Father  Jacob  said  he  never  would  let  Benjamin  go 
away  from  home.     Why!    Joseph  was  gone  and  Simeon  was 


226  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

in  Egypt,  and  "I  should  surely  die  if  any  harm  came  to  Ben- 
jamin!    No,  I  cannot  let  Benjamin  go." 

But  after  a  while  the  corn  was  all  gone  and  it  looked  as  if 
they  would  starve.  Father  Jacob  said,  "I  think  you  must 
go  to  Egypt  for  more  corn." 

But  Judah  said,  "Father,  the  man  told  us  very  solemnly 
that  unless  we  brought  Benjamin  with  us  we  should  not  even 
see  him,  nor  could  we  have  any  more  corn." 

So,  though  Jacob  felt  very  badly  about  it,  he  finally  decided 
he  must  let  Benjamin  go.  So  the  brothers  went  again  into 
Egypt.  This  time  Joseph  told  his  servants  to  prepare  dinner 
for  them.  They  wondered  why  they  should  be  invited  to 
dinner,  but  they  went. 

When  they  saw  Joseph  they  made  very  low  bows  before 
him  (which  made  Joseph's  dream  come  true).  They  gave  him 
all  the  presents  their  father  had  sent  to  the  governor. 

After  dinner  the  sacks  were  filled  with  corn  and  they  started 
home.  Simeon  and  Benjamin  were  with  them,  and  they  were 
very  happy,  for  father  would  have  them  all  home  again,  with 
plenty  of  corn  for  food. 

But  what  do  you  think  happened?  As  they  were  going 
home  talking  among  themselves,  a  servant  of  Joseph's  came 
riding  up  to  them.  He  said,  "Who  took  my  master's  silver 
cup?" 

Of  course  they  were  very  much  surprised  and  each  one  said, 
"I  did  not  take  the  master's  silver  cup."  Each  one  opened 
his  sack.  And — would  you  believe  it? — the  silver  cup  was 
found  in  Benjamin's  sack!  You  see  Joseph  had  had  it  put 
in  Benjamin's  sack  in  order  to  test  them  again. 

They  went  back  to  the  city  and  told  Joseph  how  sorry  they 
were,  and  that  they  would  all  be  his  servants.  But  Joseph 
said  he  would  keep  for  his  servant  only  the  one  in  whose  sack 
the  silver  cup  was  found.     And  that  was  Benjamin's! 

Then  Judah  said  to  Joseph:  "Our  father  Jacob  is  an  old  man. 


THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENT  227 

He  feels  sad  because  he  lost  Joseph.  Now  he  will  die  if  he 
loses  Benjamin.  I  will  stay  gladly  and  be  your  servant  if  only 
you  will  let  Benjamin  go  back  to  father." 

Then  the  finest  thing  of  all  happened!  I  think  Joseph  al- 
most shouted  for  joy  when  he  said,  "/  am  your  brother  Josephl'' 
Then  he  added,  "O,  how  I  want  to  see  my  father!  Go  and 
bring  him  to  me.  You  shall  all  live  here  in  Egypt  and  have 
everything  you  need.  Father  shall  ride  in  my  chariot  and 
we  shall  all  be  happy  together  again." 

And  Father  Jacob — can  you  imagine  how  glad  and  happy 
he  was  to  know  that  Joseph  was  well  and  living  in  Egypt? 
And  he  went  to  see  Joseph  and  spent  many  happy  years  with 
him. 

Books  for  mothers: 

The  Bible  in  Graded  Story,  Vol.  I,  by  Edna  Dean  Baker  and 
Clara  Belle  Baker.  Published  by  The  Abingdon  Press, 
New  York. 

The  Garden  of  Eden,  George  Hodges.  Published  by  Hough- 
ton Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 

The  Castle  of  Zion,  George  Hodges.  Published  by  Houghton 
Miffiin  Company,  Boston. 

When  the  King  Came,  George  Hodges.  Published  by  Hough- 
ton Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 


CHAPTER  XV 
RELIGION  THROUGH  SONGS 

Music  is  universal  in  its  appeal.  Even  the  most  primitive 
peoples  have  their  chants,  their  melodies,  and  their  songs, 
and  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  degree  of  civilization  of  a 
nation  can  be  measured  by  its  music. 

From  the  beginning  of  life  to  its  end  we  respond  to  music. 
The  babe  is  soothed  and  quieted  by  the  lullaby;  older  grown, 
tired  nerves  and  troubled  hearts  find  rest  and  peace  in  rhythmic 
strains.  We  have  music  on  the  joyous  wedding  occasion;  at 
the  glad  Christmas  time;  when  we  render  thanks  and  praise; 
and  when  the  body  is  laid  away  for  its  last  rest. 

Worship  Through  Music 

Especially  is  music  the  language  of  worship.  It  expresses 
the  inner  longings  of  the  soul  and  voices  its  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions as  no  speech  can  do.  Religion  and  music  have  gone  hand 
in  hand  in  'the  long  climb  of  our  race  upward  toward  God. 
Much  of  the  finest  music  the  world  has  known  owes  its  origin 
to  the  religious  impulse  seeking  expression  in  some  earnest 
heart. 

Into  every  child's  life  should  be  brought  from  the  beginning 
all  that  is  possible  of  beauty  and  goodness.  The  beauty  of 
good  pictures,  of  attractive  surroundings,  of  good  stories,  and 
suitable  poetry,  but  perhaps  even  more  than  these  the  beauty 
and  goodness  of  suitable  music. 

Every  child  loves  sweet,  tuneful  melodies.  Most  mothers 
sing  to  their  children.  All  mothers  should.  For  there  is  hardly 
a  mother,  even  if  she  be  not  trained  in  music,  who  cannot  sing 

228 


RELIGION  THROUGH  SONGS 


229 


the  simple  airs  of  nursery  songs;  and  to  the  young  child  these 
are  music.  And,  as  in  the  art  of  story- telling,  the  young  mother 
who  is  not  a  musician  may  develop  her  skill  by  starting  with 
the  simple  forms  suited  to  the  small  child  and,  by  practice, 
grow  in  skill  with  the  requirements  of  her  child. 

While  the  child  is  still  a  tiny  babe  of  a  few  months  the  mother 
croons  and  sings  as  she  nurses  him  or  as  she  undresses  him 
for  the  bath  or  for  bed.  Long  before  the  words  are  understood 
the  child  is  receiving  valuable  impressions  and  at  the  same 
time  his  response  to  tone  and  rhythm  is  being  stimulated  and 
trained.  To  every  child  there  should  be  given  the  precious 
memories  of  his  mother's  voice  in  quiet,  restful  song.  Every 
child  should  have  the  name  and  thought  of  God  the  heavenly 
Father  and  of  Jesus  associated  with  beautiful  melodies  in  which 
these  loved  words  are  sung. 


Lullaby 


Christine  Rosetti 


*#^ 


E4^ 


:i=* 


-a-i-t 


-|2- 


liai 


-r 


S 


4— .s"- 


s 


j- 


-19- 

-19— 


X 


-15^- 


-h— r- 


Plow'rs  are  closed  and  lambs  are  sleep-ing;  Lul  -  la  -  by!       lul  -  la  -  by! 


Stars    are  up,   the  moon   is  peep  -  ing;  Lul  -  la  -  by,     oh,    lul  -  la  -  by! 


^-- 


-# -a. 


4S- 


-s^ 


I 


230 


THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 


The  Teaching  Power  of  Music 

A  little  later,  when  the  idea  of  God  is  beginning  to  take  form, 
there  is  not  only  a  quieting,  soothing  influence  from  such  songs 
as  the  following,  but  real  religious  impressions  are  being  made 
through  the  words  and  music  combined. 


All  Through  the  Night 


Welsh  Air 


^^ 


1.  Sleep,  my   child,  and  peace     at  -  tend  thee,     All     thro'     the     night; 

2.  Moth  -  er    dear      is     close     be  -  side   thee.     All     thro'     the     night, 


=]: 


--it 


N— H- 


Guard  -  ian   an  -  gels     God     will    send    thee.    All      thro'     the   night. 
Watch  -  ing  that     no     harm     be  -   tide    thee,    All       thro'     the   night; 


-5f— 


Soft     the 
Thro'  the 


drew  -  sy 
0  -  pen 


hours    are     creep  ■ 
win   -   dow  stream  ■ 


mg, 
ing, 


Hill     and     vale 
Moon  -  light    on 


m 
the 


:l=q= 


:=i: 


slum-ber  steeping,  I     my   lov  -  ing  watch  am  keeping.  All   thro'  the  night, 
floor   is  gleaming,  While  my  ba- by   lies    a-dream-ing.  All   thro' the  night. 


It  is  generally  true  that  the  best  things  in  life  are  the  simplest, 
and  this  is  especially  true  of  music  for  children.  While  most 
of  the  hymnology  of  the  church  has  been  written  for  adults, 
there  is  an  increasing  number  of  sweet  simple  melodies  suit- 
able for  children  to  hear  and  to  sing.  Says  Caroline  Kohlsaat, 
"There  is  one  type  of  song  that  is  genuine,  very  simple,  and 
truly  beautiful,  that  was  not  composed  for  a  commercial  market, 


RELIGION  THROUGH  SONGS 


231 


but  that  has  lived  for  generations  because  it  was  the  sincere, 
spontaneous  expression  of  fine  feelings;  this  is  called  ^^folk 
song.''  It  is  the  best  foundation  on  which  to  build  musical 
taste,  for  it  is  the  foundation  of  the  music  of  all  the  great  masters." 

Suiting  Music  to  Childhood 

Many  such  folk  songs  are  available  for  mothers  and  may- 
be found  in  the  public  libraries  and  in  the  children's  book  shops. 
The  harmonies  of  many  of  these  songs  have  been  rearranged 
to  adapt  them  to  the  range  of  children's  voices  which,  up  to 
five  years,  is  usually  found  to  run  from  d  to  b,  and  above  six 
years  from  middle  c  to  f. 

Children  who  are  early  taught  to  sing  have  one  great  resource 
of  happiness  and  self-entertainment.  The  mother  may  sing 
the  simple  child-songs  as  she  is  about  her  work,  the  child  join- 
ing in  as  best  he  can.  They  are  sung  again  at  the  rest  or  bed- 
time hour.  Little  by  little  the  child  catches  their  spirit,  their 
rhythm,  their  words,  their  music;  soon  he  will  be  able  to  sing 
and  enjoy  them  himself.  Children  of  the  age  of  three  can  be 
led  to  sing  and  to  love  such  songs  as  the  one  which  follows: 


Jesus  Loves  Me 


Edna  Dean  Baker 


Old  Finnish  Melody 


:2=s=:^- 


_# — «_ 


-K-u4 


Lit 


-t- 


tle     bird    and    flow*r  and    bee     Whis-  per    Je  -  sus     loves       me; 


Sun 


d •- 


and   wind   and      rain 


-^ 1 --•- 

all  three     Whis  • 


per      Je  -  sus     loves       me; 


Moon  and  stars  at 


232  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

There  is  no  doubt  that  thousands  of  children  would  gladly 
subscribe  to  the  sentiment  in  these  lines: 

When,  at  night  my  mother  sings, 

I  listen  to  her  voice  that  brings 

Thoughts  of  baby  birds  and  lambs — you  know 

How  to  sleep  they  all  must  go? 

And  if  I  think  I'll  lie  awake 

And  hear  about  them  all — 
The  bees  and  baby  chickens  too 

Why,  I'm  fast  asleep — that's  aU! 

When  at  her  work  my  mother  sings, 
I  know  she's  happier  'n  all  the  kings: 
Why,  she's  got  my  Dad  and  Me! 
And  then  I  say  all  to  myself,  I'll  be, 
I'll  surely  be  the  goodest  lad 
That  ever  you  did  see! 
For  then  my  mother '11  sing 
Forever  and  eternally. 

Many  of  the  songs  for  the  little  child  should  convey  the 
thought  of  God  and  his  love  and  care.  Besides  the  songs  which 
might  be  called  explicitly  religious  there  are  others  that  can 
weU  be  used.  Singing  songs  about  the  child's  pets,  about  the 
things  in  nature,  about  the  things  that  concern  him — all  this 
serves  to  furnish  his  mental  background  and  prepare  him  better 
to  understand  God's  part  in  the  child's  world. 

Teaching  the  child  about  Jesus  is  not  complete  without  the 
influence  of  song  to  supplement  the  stories  and  pictures  which 
are  used. 

If  only  every  family  could  be  made  a  singing  family!  Who 
can  estimate  the  influence  in  the  child's  life  of  the  hearing 
and  joining  in  the  singing  of  fine  melodies,  songs  and  hymns 
now  easily  available  for  ah  ages  and  stages  of  development! 
Children  whose  musical  taste  is  formed  on  these  better  things 


RELIGION  THROUGH  SONGS  233 

will  not  when  they  grow  older  turn  to  the  cheap,  trashy  and 
vulgar  "rag-time"  and  "jazz"  music  which  is  vitiating  the  taste 
and  standards  of  so  many  young  people  to-day. 

Books  of  songs  for  children: 

Songs  for  the  Little  Child,  Baker  and  Kohlsaat;  The  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York.  Mothers  will  find  this  one  of  the 
best  books  now  available  for  children  below  school  age. 
The  words  are  permeated  with  the  thought  of  God's  love 
and  care,  and  the  friendship  of  Jesus  for  children  is  felt  in 
the  sentiment.  There  are  many  songs  about  nature,  pets, 
etc.  The  songs  are  short  and  the  music,  which  is  largely 
adapted  with  new  harmonizations  from  old  folk  tunes,  is 
well  suited  to  younger  children  and  is  in  itself  beautiful 
and  fit. 

Mother  Goose  Songs,  J.  W.  Elliot.  Published  by  McLaughHn 
Brothers,  New  York. 

Old  Nursery  Rhymes;  also  Little  Songs  of  Long  Ago,  Alfred 
Moffatt  (Pictures  by  H.  W.  Le  Mair).  Pubhshed  by  David 
McKay,  Philadelphia. 

Every  Child's  Folk  Songs  and  Games,  Caroline  S.  Bailey. 
Published  by  Milton  Bradley,  Springfield,  Massachusetts. 

Rote  Songs,  Surette  and  Davison.  Published  by  Boston 
Music  Company,  Boston. 

A  First  Book  in  Songs  and  Worship,  Edith  Lovell  Thomas. 
Published  by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York.  This  book 
is  for  children  six  to  eleven  or  twelve  years  of  age,  and  is 
one  of  the  very  best  collections  of  religious  music  available 
for  the  home.  The  words  are  inspiring  and  the  music 
carefully  adapted  to  children's  voices.  Where  there  are 
children  of  school  age  this  book  should  be  part  of  the 
home  equipment. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME 

In  the  proper  observance  of  the  Sabbath  there  are  two  very 
important  principles  to  be  considered.  We  are  even  bold 
enough  to  say  if  these  two  principles  could  be  followed,  there 
would  in  the  main  be  no  "Sunday  problem."  The  first  prin- 
ciple is  that  Sunday  should  be  a  family  day  well  planned.  The 
second  is  that  in  the  planning  there  must  be  the  right  propor- 
tion of  worship,  recreation,  and  rest.  Consideration  of  these 
ingredients  will  make  it  a  well-balanced  day.  It  is  the  lack 
of  this  balance  together  with  the  fact  that  it  is  too  often  entered 
upon  haphazardly  without  plan  that  makes  the  Sunday  problem 
what  it  is.  For  Sunday  to  be  the  ''best  day"  of  the  week  it 
must  be  a  happy  day  for  the  children  and  for  parents — a  day 
to  look  forward  to,  and  not  one  to  be  dreaded  or  to  be  endured 
or  to  be  treated  carelessly. 

The  True  Spirit  of  the  Sabbath 

On  the  other  days  of  the  week,  the  school,  the  home,  business, 
or  profession  take  up  our  attention  and  we  follow  a  program 
more  or  less  prescribed  for  us.  On  Sunday  we  are  at  liberty 
to  do  many  things  of  our  own  choosing;  we  may  largely  make 
our  own  program.  But  this  does  not  mean  that  the  day  is  to 
be  one  crammed  with  pleasure  and  excitement;  nor  a  day  spent 
in  mere  loafing;  nor  a  day  followed  in  the  extreme  fashion  of 
our  Puritan  ancestors,  whose  rule  was  that  Sunday  should 
be  devoted  exclusively  to  attending  church  and  reading  the 
Bible.  While  the  commandment,  "Remember  the  Sabbath 
day  to  keep  it  holy,"  was  interpreted  in  this  somber  way  by 
our  forefathers,  historians  of  Old  Testament  times  tell  us  that 

234 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  235 

the  early  Hebrews  regarded  it  as  the  most  joyous  of  days. 
They  speak  of  it  as  "the  bride  of  the  week."  It  is  written, 
"This  is  the  day  the  Lord  hath  made;  we  will  be  glad  and  re- 
joice in  it." 

"It  will  never  secure  respect  or  love  for  the  day  to  have 
parents  or  guardians  make  it  chiefly  a  time  for  repression.  But 
let  it  be  emphasized  as  God  meant  it  should  be:  a  day  of  glad- 
ness in  which  the  text,  'Behold,  I  show  you  a  better  way,' 
shall  control  the  parents  in  planning  and  falling  in  with  the 
activities  of  their  children.  Those  parents  who,  out  of  laziness 
and  indifference  to  their  obligations,  bury  their  noses  in  the 
religious  papers  or  even  in  the  Bible  and  give  comparatively 
little  thought  to  their  children  except  to  say,  'Don't  do  this' 
or  'Don't  do  that,'  'You  must  be  quiet  on  Sunday,'  cannot 
hope  to  teach  their  children  either  to  love  it  or  to  be  glad  for 
its  return." 

"More  than  all  else,"  says  an  English  writer  to  parents,  "let 
the  sun  shine  on  Sunday.  Judge  for  yourselves  of  details  but 
hold  to  this  principle!  Children  are  not  turkeys;  you  can't 
cram  them  with  religion.  Beware  of  Mrs.  Squeers's  method; 
don't  pour  religion,  like  brimstone  and  treacle,  down  their 
throats  and  rap  it  into  their  crowns  with  the  back  of  the  spoon. "^ 

Instead  of  the  method  of  repression  let  us  actually  make 
this  the  "best  day  of  the  week,"  the  day  when  we  can  do  many 
of  the  things  we  delight  to  do.  Then  let  us  see  that  we  delight 
to  do  the  best  things. 

In  accordance  with  the  principle  stated  at  the  beginning  of 
the  chapter,  the  activities  of  Sunday  should  be  well  balanced  as 
a  result  of  careful  planning  by  parents,  and  enjoyed  together  as  a 
family.  In  discussing  this  question  one  writer  has  suggested 
that  a  good  Sunday  in  the  home  should  embody  three  elements: 
change,  rest,  and  uplift,  to  which  we  may  add  recreation.    It  is 

'  Quoted  from  Sunday  in  the  Home,  in  The  American  Home  Series.  Pub- 
lished by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 


236  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

possible  that  in  many  homes  where  the  "upHft"  is  taken  care 
of  through  having  the  children  in  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
church  services,  the  problem  yet  remains  of  what  to  do  with 
the  children  the  rest  of  the  day.  As  parents  we  must  not  only 
consider  the  spiritual  needs  of  our  children  but  we  must  under- 
stand that  law  of  childhood  which  makes  the  child  desire  to 
play  on  Sundays  as  well  as  on  other  days  of  the  week.  Under- 
standing this  principle,  we  will  not  only  allow  the  child  to 
play  but  will  ourselves  have  a  part  in  his  play.  No  child  will 
go  far  astray  whose  parents  are  entering  into  the  day's  activities 
with  him. 

Making  Sunday  Different 

The  very  little  child  is  not  old  enough  to  understand  that 
Sunday  is  different  from  any  other  day  of  the  week.  The  train- 
ing, therefore,  will  consist  first  in  creating  right  impressions 
by  making  the  day  different.  Certain  toys,  as  the  shiniest 
playthings,  the  prettiest  doll,  the  favorite  engine  and  cars, 
are  reserved  for  Sunday  play.  In  homes  where  this  principle 
is  followed  there  is  a  drawer  in  which  are  kept  these  ''best" 
playthings  for  Sunday  use.  In  his  dressing  the  child  learns 
that  some  of  his  clothes  are  his  "Sunday  best."  As  he  grows 
older,  and  must  be  "doing  something,"  there  are  occupations, 
busy  work  for  the  hands,  which  may  be  kept  exclusively  for 
Sunday  activities.  A  number  of  such  plans  are  discussed  later 
in  this  chapter.  The  best  and  greatest  change  is  to  make  it 
a  day  in  which  gladness  is  the  dominant  note,  the  gladness 
being  of  a  different  and  finer  quality  than  other  days. 

In  one  home  there  is  a  change  of  food  to  make  Sunday  dif- 
ferent. Each  in  turn  furnished  the  Sunday  "treat,"  so-called 
— some  httle  variety  that  was  bought  with  one's  own  money 
and  kept  from  the  others  as  a  grand  surprise.  When  it  was 
father's  turn  it  might  be  ice  cream  or  rare  fruit.  The  children's 
treat  cost  but  a  few  cents,  but  was  none  the  less  appreciated. 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  .  237 

A  special  cake  or  some  other  delicacy  was  made  by  mother. 
In  another  home  the  Sunday  breakfast  was  mother's  particular 
surprise.  Every  once  in  a  while  she  would  serve  a  color  break- 
fast, as  she  called  it. 

Sunday  as  God's  Day 

Under  careful  training  the  child  by  the  time  he  is  nearing 
three  years  of  age  is  beginning  to  realize  that  Sunday  is  some- 
what different  from  other  days.  Mother  tells  him  this  is  Sunday, 
God's  Day.  For  some  time  he  has  had  his  picture  books,  some 
of  which  are  reserved  for  Sunday  use  only.  "Margie  have  Sunny 
book  to-day,  muvver?"  and  mother  replies,  "Not  to-day,  dear, 
but  to-morrow  is  Sunday,  and  then  Marjorie  may  have  it  and 
we  will  have  such  a  good  time!  Mother  has  a  new  story  book 
for  Marjorie;  that  will  be  another  'Sunday  book.'  "  It  takes 
but  little  to  make  a  child  happy — the  giving  of  a  new  toy,  or 
a  new  book  on  Sunday  adds  to  the  child's  impression  that 
Sunday  is  a  happy  day.  In  one  home  a  book  containing  specially 
beautiful  pictures  was  known  as  the  "Sunday  book."  Other 
rare  books  might  be  reserved  for  Sunday  enjoyment. 

Every  child  loves  stories,  and  for  Sunday  should  be  reserved 
the  very  best  stories  suited  to  his  understanding.  This  will 
include  Bible  stories  from  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament, 
the  "Stories  about  Jesus,"  and  the  "Nature  Stories"  showing 
God's  love  and  goodness,  such  as  are  given  in  Chapter  XII  and 
XIII.  The  child  comes  to  look  forward  to  Sunday  as  the  day 
of  reading  and  story- telling;  mother  is  not  so  busy  this  day 
with  household  cares,  and  the  extra  time  for  story-telling  by 
mother  or  father  is  a  part  of  what  makes  the  day  "different" 
and  "best"  to  the  child. 

The  Sunday  Quiet  Hour 

While  the  children  are  little  the  afternoon  nap  is  always 
a  part  of  the  Sunday  program.    During  this  time  parents  may 


238         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

get  in  the  "forty-winks"  if  they  so  desire.  With  many  people 
it  is  a  time  for  meditation — possibly  the  sermon  of  the  morn- 
ing forms  the  basis  of  it;  with  others  it  is  the  time  to  think  out 
some  problem  that  has  pursued  them  through  the  week,  but 
has  been  crowded  out  by  other  necessary  or  absorbing  interests. 
Others  enjoy  reading,  or  writing  letters.  Some  mothers  have 
an  interesting  book  or  two  just  lying  around  as  bait  for  the 
children  who  think  they  are  too  big  to  take  a  nap. 

It  was  a  part  of  Mrs.  M's  Saturday  program  to  go  to  the 
library  for  books  which  she  knew  the  children  would  enjoy. 
"Why  don't  you  let  Harold  come  and  pick  out  his  own  books?" 
questioned  Mrs.  R.  "Oh,  this  fine  weather  is  so  tempting, 
I  can't  get  him  to  stop  his  play  long  enough,"  answered  Mrs.  M. 
Mrs.  M  is  not  only  providing  something  for  the  quiet  time 
on  Sunday,  but  she  is  forming  Harold's  taste  in  reading  good 
books  as  well.  But  in  whatever  way  it  is  spent  a  part  of  the 
Sunday  program  should  be  a  quiet,  or  rest,  period  carefully 
observed  by  each  member  of  the  family. 

Sunday  Recreations 

In  many  homes  this  is  the  one  day  of  the  week  when  father 
can  be  at  home  the  greater  part  of  it,  and  this  is  what  makes 
Sunday  the  "best  day"  of  the  week,  for  father  is  then  at  hand 
for  company  and  for  leadership  in  whatever  is  going  on.  The 
play  part  of  Sunday  should  be  as  carefully  planned  as  any 
other  part,  and  father  should  have  some  part  in  it.  In  time  of 
the  day  the  recreation  time  logically  follows  the  hour  of  the 
quiet  or  rest  period.  If  a  child  understands  that  at  a  certain 
hour  the  play  time  begins,  he  can  be  led  to  give  the  proper 
respect  for  the  rights  of  others  during  this  quiet  time  even  if 
he  does  not  care  for  the  quiet  for  himself. 

While  the  children  are  httle,  what  to  do  in  the  recreation 
time  is  not  a  serious  problem;  it  should  be  given  over  as  far 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  239 

as  possible  to  what  the  children  most  like  to  do,  though  the  play 
should  not  be  boisterous.  Perhaps  it  is  a  trip  to  the  woods  for 
the  season's  flowers  or  berries.  In  one  family  there  is  the  plan 
of  beginning  with  the  oldest  child  and  allowing  each  to  say 
what  form  the  recreation  shall  take  for  a  particular  Sunday. 
The  arrangement  enables  each  child  to  think  ahead  and  plan 
with  his  parents  for  his  particular  day. 

How  shall  we  go  to  the  woods  or  the  lake?  Shall  we  walk 
or  drive?  If  either  is  in  walking  distance,  the  walk  will  do  us 
good.  If  we  are  to  drive,  it  brings  up  the  much  debated  ques- 
tion "Is  it  wrong  to  go  automobiling  on  Sunday?"  To  this  we 
may  reply,  not  if  the  trip  is  taken  for  a  proper  purpose,  in  the 
right  way,  and  to  the  right  place.  The  Sunday  drive  should, 
when  possible,  be  over  some  less  frequented  road  rather  than 
the  noisy  thoroughfares.  Trips  to  the  fields  and  woods  are 
better  than  to  amusement  places.  The  drive  should  be  taken 
in  a  leisurely  manner  without  the  strain  of  speed.  If  used  in 
such  ways  on  Sunday,  assuming  that  church  and  Sunday  school 
have  not  been  neglected,  we  may  feel  that  the  car  is  giving 
a  legitimate  service. 

Once  in  the  woods  or  in  some  unfrequented  spot,  where  the 
peace  of  others  will  not  be  disturbed,  there  may  be  the  indulgence 
of  real  frolics,  in  which  the  stored-up  energy  is  given  an  outlet. 
Perhaps  the  child  whose  turn  it  is  to  plan  the  day's  recreation 
is  allowed  to  invite  a  friend  to  accompany  them,  which  gives 
an  added  pleasure  to  the  outing.  In  the  fall  the  gathering  of 
red  berries  and  fall  leaves  for  home  decoration  adds  a  motive 
for  the  little  excursion.  In  the  spring  the  search  for  wild  flowers 
gives  a  pleasure. 

To  give  the  Sunday  recreation  times  over  wholly  to  an  outing 
would  be  injudicious.  It  is  possible  too  that  the  afternoon 
spent  altogether  in  reading  or  story-telling  might  become 
wearisome.  Change  is  necessary  if  we  would  have  our  activities 
well  balanced. 


240  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Sunday  Hand  Work 

No  small  part  of  the  child's  education  comes  through  the 
hand.  The  child  "learns  by  doing."  The  picture  which  is 
seen  through  imagination  in  ''the  mind's  eye"  is  drawn  by  the 
hand,  and  the  thought  back  of  the  mental  picture  becomes 
more  clear  and  meaningful.  The  mind  conceives  a  plan  for 
making  a  picture  beautiful  by  coloring  it,  and  the  hand,  with 
its  colored  crayons,  realizes  the  thought  on  the  cardboard. 
The  hand  makes  concrete  what  the  mind  proposes  in  its  ideas 
and  its  imagery.  To  train  the  hand  is  to  make  sure  that  the 
owner  of  this  hand  will  be  a  doer  and  not  a  dreamer  only. 

Besides  all  this  every  normal  child  has  the  impulse  to  do 
things,  make  things,  build,  cut,  put  together,  take  apart.  This 
is  as  natural  to  him  as  to  eat  or  sleep,  and  the  inner  tendency 
comes  from  the  same  source — his  instincts.  The  child  who 
has  learned  to  use  his  hands  in  all  the  various  little  skills  possi- 
ble even  to  young  children  has  in  this  ability  a  resource  that 
will  add  much  to  happiness  of  disposition  and  fine  character. 

From  the  following  activities  and  things  to  do,  it  would  be 
well  for  the  mother  to  choose  those  which  might  be  reserved 
for  Sunday  doing.  There  would  be  the  "Sunday  drawing 
book,"  the  "Sunday  scrapbook,"  etc.  An  appropriate  activity 
would  be  the  making  of  home  decorations,  valentines.  May 
baskets,  etc.,  on  the  Sunday  afternoons  preceding  the  special 
days  of  Christmas,  Thanksgiving,  Valentine's  Day,  May  Day, 
the  Fourth  of  July,  and  the  hke. 

Coloring  pictures.  Even  as  young  as  three  years,  children 
enjoy  coloring  pictures  and  drawing.  Although  the  younger 
child  cannot  show  skill,  care  in  the  coloring  should  be  encouraged 
from  the  first.  Mere  marking  across  a  picture  or  scratching 
it  over  should  not  be  allowed.  With  patience  and  help  the 
child  will  soon  learn  how  to  use  his  hands  and  eyes.  Pictures 
suitable  for  coloring  are  easily  found.     Pictures  of  animals,  of 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  241 

flowers  and  fruit,  of  houses,  of  automobiles,  of  persons,  and, 
indeed,  of  the  thousand  and  one  common  things  found  in  the 
pages  of  the  magazines  and  papers  all  supply  attractive  sub- 
jects. It  is  best,  however,  to  select  such  as  appeal  to  the  child 
and  are  worthy  in  subject  and  execution. 

Drawing.  Children  from  four  to  six  years  freely  and  with 
confidence  undertake  to  represent  their  ideas  by  drawing.  A 
horse,  a  sunset,  a  house,  a  person — all  these  are  fair  subjects 
for  the  young  artist  to  try  his  hand  upon.  He  will  even  repre- 
sent a  story  he  is  told  by  drawing  it,  and  often  succeeds  sur- 
prisingly well  in  representing  the  idea  that  has  impressed  him. 
In  planning  for  materials  for  coloring  and  drawing  it  will  be 
remembered  that  the  finer  muscular  control  is  impossible  at 
this  early  age.  Large  colored  pencils  and  crayons,  with  draw- 
ing paper  or  books  are  needed.  A  small  blackboard  with  colored 
crayons  is  highly  desirable. 

Cutting  out  pictures.  When  the  child  is  three  or  three  and 
a  half  years  he  may  be  given  blunt  scissors  and,  with  a  little 
direction,  begin  cutting  out  pictures  (rather  large  ones)  from 
old  newspapers  and  magazines.  When  some  skill  is  acquired, 
and  the  pictures  are  well  cut,  they  may  be  assorted  and  put  in 
boxes  for  future  use. 

Making  a  scrapbook.  Take  colored  muslin  and  cut  pieces 
24  X  24  inches.  Lay  the  pieces  together  and  stitch  down  the 
center.  The  edge  may  be  bound  or  made  fancy  by  use  of  a 
pinking  iron.  For  paste  take  two  heaping  teaspoons  of  flour  • 
and  mix  with  a  little  cold  water  till  smooth;  into  this  pour 
about  a  half  cup  (large  size)  of  boiling  water;  stir  the  mixture 
over  the  fire  till  it  bubbles. 

One  book  may  have  kittens,  puppies,  cows,  horses;  another 
may  be  devoted  to  fruits  and  flowers;  another  to  fowls — chickens, 
geese,  turkeys;  another  to  birds.  One  child  learned  the  dif- 
ferent "calls"  of  the  birds  and  what  the  different  animals  "say'* 
in  connection  with  scrapbook  making. 


242  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Cutting  out  pictures  of  apples,  pumpkins,  fall  grains,  and 
pasting  into  scrapbook  makes  an  appropriate  occupation  near 
Thanksgiving  time.  From  furniture  catalogue  cut  out  furniture 
suitable  for  different  rooms.  For  example,  one  page  is  devoted 
to  the  living  room,  another  to  the  dining  room,  another  to  the 
kitchen,  another  to  the  bed  rooms,  etc. 

Especially  appropriate  for  Sunday  making  would  be  the 
scrapbook  containing  religious  pictures  cut  from  the  child's 
Sunday  school  papers  and  cards.  These  might  be  sent  to  the 
children's  wards  in  hospitals  and  to  the  mission  schools.  Beau- 
tiful books  can  be  made  with  the  inexpensive  but  real  art  pic- 
tures procurable  from  the  various  picture  companies.  Pictures 
of  Jesus  and  of  the  "Madonnas"  make  a  collection  that  httle 
children  enjoy.  Another  scrapbook  can  be  made  with  pictures 
of  animals  found  in  the  Bible. 

Pasting  the  used  sides  of  post  cards  together,  or  mounting 
them  on  pasteboard  showing  the  picture  is  another  good  occu- 
pation for  a  Sunday  afternoon.  These  will  gladden  the  hearts 
of  our  missionaries  who  can  use  very  many  of  them  in  making 
happy  the  little  children  in  the  mission  schools. 

Stringing.  In  the  walks  out  of  doors  gather  the  bright 
berries  of  autumn — haws,  thorn  apples,  and  cranberries  are 
good;  also  buttons  and  beads  may  be  used  for  stringing.  The 
kindergarten  materials  have  sets  of  wooden  beads,  inch  cubes 
and  spheres;  with  these  are  used  the  lemon  straws.  Shoestrings 
are  good  for  the  foundation  string.  Different  designs  may  be 
suggested  by  the  mother,  but  initiative  and  invention  on  the 
part  of  the  child  should  be  encouraged.  Deftness  of  fingers 
is  acquired  in  these  occupations  and  the  child  is  pleased  when 
the  strings  are  used  for  decorations. 

Making  paper  chains.  Weaving  chains  of  clover  heads  or 
dandelions  is  an  interesting  out-door  occupation.  For  paper 
chains  take  bright-colored  strips  of  paper  about  five  inches 
long  and  one  inch  wide.     Using  different  colors,  interlace  and 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  243 

paste  the  ends  of  the  strips  together.  Use  these  chains  for 
decoration  about  the  house. 

Making  paper  windmills.  Take  bright-colored  paper  about 
five  inches  square;  beginning  at  corners  cut  slits  to  one  inch 
of  center;  run  a  pin  through  alternate  corners  and  fasten  pin 
wheel  to  a  stick.  The  child  will  enjoy  running  in  the  wind  with 
them. 

Autumn  leaves.  Pick  up  pretty  fall  leaves  and  press  on  the 
backs  with  a  warm  flatiron,  using  beeswax.  If  left  on  the 
twigs  and  each  leaf  pressed  lightly,  the  leaves  will  keep  their 
shape.     They  make  pretty  house  decorations  lasting  for  months. 

Illustrating  stories.  There  are  a  number  of  favorite  stories 
which  carry  with  them  possibilities  of  simple  craft  work.  The 
child  of  four  to  six  not  only  enjoys  the  story  but  he  enjoys 
equally  well  constructing  the  ''house"  or  "Peter  Rabbit"  or 
whatever  the  story  calls  for.  These  objects  serve  as  real  toys 
and  furnish  amusement  in  playing  the  story.  Among  the 
"Fold-a-way"  play  books  may  be  found  the  following:  The 
Story  of  Peter  Rabbit,  The  Story  of  Little  Black  Sambo,  The 
Story  of  the  Three  Bears,  The  Story  of  Cinderella,  Dolly  Blos- 
som and  Her  Wardrobe.  These  may  be  found  in  the  book 
shops  where  children's  books  are  sold.  The  child  may  be  given 
an  added  incentive  and  a  good  lesson  at  the  same  time  by 
presenting  these  articles  to  the  children's  wards  in  hospitals. 

One  mother  keeps  a  list  of  "Occupations"  for  her  children, 
adding  to  this  list  whenever  she  comes  across  any  good  device 
for  entertaining  and  keeping  them  busy. 

Home  Games  Suitable  for  Sunday 

There  will  also  be  needed  some  quiet  games  for  indoor  play- 
ing on  Sunday. 

"Hide  and  seek^\-  "Hide  the  thimble."  Mother  plays  the 
music  loud  or  soft  to  indicate  nearness  or  distance  as  the  chil- 
dren Cand  father)  engage  in  the  play. 


244  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Guessing  games.  "Where  am  I?"  After  a  trip  to  the  park, 
lake,  or  woods,  the  child  describes  just  enough  to  make  others 
guess.  After  a  year's  absence  in  the  East  one  family  kept  a 
rather  vivid  memory  of  the  year  by  the  guessing  game  "Where 
am  I?"  playing  the  child  was  in  some  particular  place  the  family 
had  lived  or  had  visited. 

Games  for  sense  training.  Testing  sight  and  memory.  While 
the  children  have  the  eyes  shut  or  blindfolded,  place  a  number 
of  objects  on  the  table;  on  opening  the  eyes  give  the  children 
thirty  seconds  to  look  at  them;  cover  the  objects  and  ask  them 
to  repeat  as  many  as  they  can  remember. 

Testing  smell.  The  children's  eyes  are  blindfolded;  place 
before  the  nose  common  articles  with  which  they  are  familiar, 
such  as  an  apple,  an  open  bottle  of  vanilla,  a  flower,  etc.  Re- 
move the  object  and  have  them  name  it. 

Testing  taste.  The  eyes  are  blindfolded,  the  fingers  holding 
the  nostrils  closed;  put  a  thin  piece  of  potato,  of  apple,  and  of 
onion  on  the  tongue  one  at  a  time,  cleansing  mouth  between 
experiments.    Have  the  children  tell  which  was  given. 

Testing  hearing.  The  eyes  are  blindfolded.  Hold  a  watch 
about  nine  inches  from  the  head,  front,  sides,  back,  etc.  Let 
child  indicate  with  his  hand  where  the  watch  was  held.  Play 
a  little  melody  or  hum  it;  let  the  child  tell  what  it  was. 

Playing  stories.  Children  love  to  "make  believe."  There 
are  many  scenes  and  stories  in  the  Bible  suitable  to  be  played 
by  the  little  child.  The  stories  should  be  told  by  the  mother 
until  the  child  has  become  very  familiar  with  the  story  or  scene. 
Ther  he  will  readily  be  Baby  Moses,  Joseph  with  the  coat  of 
many  colors,  or  young  Samuel.  Stories  familiar  to  the  child 
portraying  a  lesson  in  love,  helpfulness,  or  some  ethical  teaching 
might  be  played  by  the  children  on  a  Sunday  afternoon. 

A  Noah  Sunday.^     Nearly  every  child  has  a  box  of  blocks, 

1  From  A  Year  of  Good  Sundays,  in  The  American  Home  Series.  The  Ab- 
ingdon Press,  New  York. 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME  245 

and  from  these  a  Noah's  Ark  can  be  constructed  while  telling 
the  story.  Then,  taking  paper  and  scissors,  fashion  paper  dolls 
of  various  sizes  to  represent  Noah's  family.  In  simplest  form 
cut  as  many  different  animals  as  you  have  in  mind.  Turn  the 
leg  pieces  to  right  and  left  that  they  may  stand  to  form  the 
procession  as  they  march  into  the  ark. 

The  Sunday  evening  lunch.  Wherever  possible,  make  the  most 
of  the  fireplace  as  a  background  for  the  family  getting  together 
at  the  close  of  a  happy  day;  in  the  summer  time  it  may  be  the 
porch.    As  early  as  possible,  cause  the  children  to  feel  that  this 

is  the  special  occasion  of  the  week.    In  the  B family  it  was 

the  custom  to  make  little  cakes  and  cookies  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing for  the  Sunday  evening  lunch.  The  children  helped  in  the 
preparation  and  there  was  always  the  pleasant  anticipation  of 
a  friend  coming  in  to  share  the  happy  time  with  them.  "And 
sometimes,"  my  friend  goes  on  to  say,  "when-  there  was  no 
guest  we  played  that  father  and  mother  were  'company.'  " 
Children  always  enjoy  helping  or  taking  responsibility,  and  if 
old  enough  it  is  an  especial  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  do  most 
of  the  serving  on  this  special  occasion.  The  serving  of  the 
Sunday  "treat"  might  take  place  at  this  time. 

As  long  as  children  are  happy  at  home  they  are  not  likely 
to  go  elsewhere  searching  for  a  good  time.     It  was  the  custom 

in  the  P family  to  play  charades  Sunday  evenings.     That 

the  Old  Testament  stories  and  scenes  furnished  the  source  for 
this  pastime  for  months  shows  the  wealth  of  material  available 
in  the  Bible.     This  time  was  made  so  interesting  that  when  a 

friend  of  the  oldest  P lad  asked  him  over  the  telephone  to 

go  out  with  him  on  Sunday  evening,  Tom  without  waiting  to 
consult  anyone  replied:  "O,  I  can't  go.  I  would  miss  our  good 
time  at  home,  and  I  wouldn't  do  that  for  anything." 

The  impersonating  of  a  Bible  character  and  having  the  others 
guess  the  one  characterized  is  a  favorite  Sunday  evening  pastime 
in  another  interesting  home. 


246  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Music.  An  ideal  custom  is  to  close  the  day  with  a  family 
"sing."  For  the  little  children  there  will  be  the  songs  suited 
to  their  understanding.  Everyone  joins  heartily  in  the  singing. 
The  spirit  of  unity  and  good  fellowship  marks  the  ending  of 
the  day.  The  little  children  are  put  to  bed  early  and  the  parents 
still  have  time  for  a  pleasant  hour  or  two  with  friends. 

The  Home  Sunday  Recognizes  the  Church 

In  describing  Sunday  in  the  home  it  is  understood,  of  course, 
that  the  church  will  come  in  for  its  share  of  the  Sunday.  No 
kind  of  home  Sunday  can  take  the  place  of  reverent  worship 
in  God's  house.  Each  child  old  enough  to  be  away  from  mother's 
care  for  an  hour  should  be  in  the  Sunday  school.  The  older 
members  should  be  in  their  places  in  the  church  service.  The 
spirit  of  the  church  and  the  spirit  of  the  home  should  unite  to 
make  Sunday  the  "best"  day. 

Is  it  not  all  worth  while,  this  making  of  Sunday  a  family 
day — a  family  day  in  the  home  and  in  the  church?  Do  we 
not  feel  repaid  in  the  happiness  and  spiritual  development  it 
gives  our  children?  Is  it  not  worth  while  for  the  influence  it 
has  in  brightening  our  own  lives  and  keeping  them  close  to  the 
things  most  worth  while? 

Books  for  mothers: 

Sunday  in  the  Home,  A  Year  of  Good  Sundays,  and  How 
One  Real  Mother  Lives  With  Her  Children,  The  American 
Home  Series.  Published  by  The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 

The  Home  Made  Kindergarten,  Nora  A.  Smith.  Published 
by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 

The  Jolly  Book  of  Funcraft,  Patten  Beard.  Published  by 
Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company,  New  York. 

See  reference  in  Chapter  XI  for  pictures. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
FOUNDATIONS  OF  CHARACTER 

What  is  it  all  for,  this  training  in  religion?  How  are  we  to 
know  when  the  training  has  proved  efifective,  what  are  the 
tests,  what  the  practical  ends  sought?  There  are,  of  course, 
many  priceless  results  from  wise  religious  training  which  can 
never  be  measured  nor  described — the  fine  inner  quality  of  the 
life,  the  quick  and  warm  spiritual  responsiveness,  the  con- 
sciousness of  God  as  friend  and  helper.  Yet  there  are  also 
certain  other  results  which,  while  no  more  real,  are  somewhat 
more  objective  and  capable  of  definite  statement. 

In  this  objective  sense,  and  in  its  broadest  and  deepest  mean- 
ing, religion  is  right  living;  and  all  factors  that  make  for  right 
living  are  religious,  at  least  in  their  outcome.  The  great  basic 
groundwork  of  character  must,  as  we  have  seen  in  earlier  chap- 
ters, be  laid  during  the  years  of  childhood;  it  is  then  that  char- 
acter receives  the  bent  that  it  will  carry  through  life.  What- 
ever virtues  we  expect  to  rule  in  manhood  and  womanhood 
must  hold  sway  in  youth.  Right  conduct  must  come  through 
ideals  early  built  into  permanent  habits  of  thought  and  action. 
The  formation  of  right  habits  is  one  of  the  most  important 
elements  in  character-building. 

The  Building  of  Right  Habits 

The  kind  of  habits  our  child  is  forming  is  therefore  one  of 
the  tests  of  the  religious  training  he  is  receiving.  From  in- 
fancy to  old  age  we  are  creatures  of  habit.  In  adult  life  habit 
has  become  so  much  a  part  of  us  that  we  do  not  recognize  it 
as  such.  Yet  every  physical  act,  such  as  walking,  eating,  talk- 
ing,  the   thousand-and-one   things  we   do   every  day  without 

247 


248  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

thinking  about  them,  is  finally  given  over  to  habit  to  manage 
while  the  mind  busies  itself  about  something  else. 

In  the  mental  realm  the  same  law  holds.  We  first  learned  the 
multiplication  table  with  effort,  if  not  with  tears;  but  habit 
soon  took  it  over  and  the  combinations  now  ''do  themselves." 
Our  thoughts  follow  the  grooves  which  our  thinking  has  made 
for  them.  We  like  the  books  we  are  accustomed  to  read  and 
enjoy  the  music  we  have  grown  accustomed  to  hear.  We  even 
pray  the  prayers  our  lips  have  formed  the  habit  of  praying. 

So  we  find  the  sway  of  habit  also  in  the  moral  and  religious 
life.  If  we  have  formed  the  habit  of  prayer  during  the  first 
ten  years  of  our  life,  the  second  ten  will  find  us  praying  in  times 
of  stress  and  need;  if  we  have  prayed  for  the  first  twenty  years, 
the  second  twenty  will  be  secure  on  this  point;  and  surely  one 
who  has  prayed  for  forty  years  will  go  on  praying  to  the  end. 
Likewise  with  conscience.  Those  who  have  early  learned  to 
heed  its  voice  and  obey  its  behests  will  later  be  in  little  danger 
of  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  its  commands.  The  fundamental  virtues 
which  form  the  framcu'ork  of  Christian  character  are  a  chief  aim 
of  early  religious  instruction. 

Habits  have  to  be  made;  they  are  never  born  with  us,  nor 
do  they  make  themselves.  Habits  are  formed  in  the  plastic 
tissues  of  the  brain.  Every  current  of  thought  or  action  which 
passes  through  the  brain  leaves  its  "path,"  or  a  tendency  for 
this  thought  or  action  to  be  repeated.  When  the  repetition 
has  occurred  often  enough  a  habit  is  formed — the  thought  or 
action  goes  on  repeating  itself  without  conscious  intention  or 
direction.  And  the  longer  it  continues  the  more  deeply  the 
habit  is  ingrained  and  the  firmer  its  grip  for  good  or  evil  upon 
us — "To-day  an  act,  to-morrow  a  habit,  next  a  character, 
and  then  a  destiny." 

The  new-born  babe  comes  into  the  world  with  many  instincts 
but  no  habits.  But  no  sooner  does  he  arrive  than  he  begins 
steadily  and  relentlessly  to  weld  chains  of  habit  which  will  be 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  CHARACTER  249 

his  master  or  his  slave  as  he  is  trained  to  use  them.  From  the 
time  the  babe  takes  his  first  nap  and  nurses  his  first  meal,  this 
small  being  is  forming  good  or  bad  habits.  Within  the  first 
few  weeks  of  the  normal  healthy  child  he  has  formed  the  habit 
of  sleeping  in  a  darkened  room  or  of  requiring  a  hght;  of  being 
fed  regularly  by  the  clock  or  of  clamoring  for  his  food  at  irregular 
intervals  and  getting  it  by  noisy  insistence.  He  has  formed 
the  habit  of  amusing  himself  in  good  nature  without  overatten- 
tion  or  demanding  by  fretfulness  and  crying  the  presence  of 
the  mother  or  the  nurse. 

On  first  thought  perhaps  these  things  may  seem  trivial  and 
of  little  importance,  but  they  have  real  significance.  They 
are  the  child's  first  acts  and  in  the  repetition  of  them  he  is  form- 
ing the  habits  which  are  the  foundations  of  his  disposition. 

They  will  largely  determine  whether  the  babe  shall  develop 
into  a  happy,  adaptable,  controlled  being  or  into  a  child  of 
tempestuous  moods,  sullen  temper  and  unhappy  disposition; 
and  these  are  the  soil  in  which  the  seeds  of  morals  and  religion 
must  take  root. 

First  Lessons  in  Obedience 

Every  child  must  learn  to  adjust  himself  to  the  world  in 
which  he  lives.  There  are  some  things  which  he  may  do  with 
impunity  and  other  things  he  may  not  do  without  coming  to 
harm  himself  or  imposing  on  the  rights  of  others.  There  are 
some  things  he  need  not  do  unless  he  wishes  to,  and  other  things 
he  must  do  either  for  his  own  good  or  because  he  owes  it  to 
others.  It  is  quite  a  task  for  the  child  to  learn  what  he  may 
or  must  do  or  not  do.  Some  of  this  he  learns  by  experience; 
for  example,  he  learns  by  experience  not  to  put  his  finger  in 
the  candle  flame,  not  to  strike  a  playmate  who  can  strike  back 
more  effectively.  But  there  are  many  other  things  that  the 
child  can  best  learn  by  obedience.  There  are  many  instances 
in  which  experience  would  prove  too  dear  a  teacher,  or  too 


250  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

slow  a  teacher,  or,  indeed,  no  teacher  at  all.  In  such  cases 
parents  and  teachers  must  tell  the  child  what  to  do  and  see 
that  he  does  it.  The  child  must  learn  to  obey,  else  a  fatal  weak- 
ness will  be  built  into  his  character. 

But  if  the  child  is  to  learn  proper  obedience,  the  parent  must 
learn  how  to  ask  for  obedience.  A  disobedient  child  is  usually 
an  evidence  of  unwise  control  at  points  where  obedience  is 
demanded.  The  mother  gives  the  child  his  first  lessons  in 
•obedience,  and  needs  therefore  herself  to  be  obedient  to  certain 
rules,  typical  of  which  are  the  following: 

Be  consistent.  Being  inconsistent,  the  mother  may  at  one 
time  punish  the  child  for  a  particular  act  and  at  another  time 
pay  no  attention  to  it;  this  rightly  gives  the  impression  that 
the  demand  was  from  a  personal  whim  and  not  from  necessity. 
If  mother  says  "No,  no,  baby  mustn't  touch"  when  the  child 
reaches  to  take  something  off  the  table,  and  he  is  given  to  under- 
stand kindly  but  firmly  that  there  are  some  things  he  must 
not  handle,  he  soon  learns  and  forms  the  habit  of  letting  the 
table  alone;  and  also  of  obeying.  If  at  other  times  he  pulls 
things  off  and  nothing  is  said  or  done,  he  soon  learns  that  he 
can  do  as  he  pleases,  and  a  bad  habit  is  being  formed  which 
will  give  trouble  later.  Let  the  mother  keep  chiefly  in  mind, 
not  whether  there  will  be  damage  done  on  this  particular  occa- 
sion by  the  child's  act,  but  whether  a  wrong  habit  is  forming. 

Be  just.  Refusal  to  allow  the  child  to  do  what  he  desires 
to  do  should  never  come  from  the  impatience  of  the  mother 
or  be  an  impulse  which  has  its  origin  in  tired  nerves;  the  de- 
cision should  be  based  on  the  suitability  of  the  act  itself  as 
related  to  the  welfare  of  the  child  and  others.  Nor  should 
punishment  be  hasty,  a  slap  or  jerk  which  only  expresses  irrita- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  mother;  where  punishment  is  necessary 
it  should  be  deliberate  and  suited  to  the  offense,  not  excessive. 
One  middle-aged  man  tells  that  he  even  now  finds  it  impossible 
to  forgive  his  father  for  a  penalty  inflicted  on  him  when,  a  boy 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  CHARACTER  251 

of  ten,  he  was  discovered  reading  a  "dime  novel"  when  he  was 
supposed  to  be  getting  his  Sunday  school  lesson.  This  pun- 
ishment was  not  to  leave  the  home  door  yard  for  a  week,  and 
this  was  the  week  of  the  circus! 

"There  are  women,"  as  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin  says,  "who 
live  in  perfect  puddles  of  maternal  love,  yet  who  seem  incapable 
of  justice;  generous  to  a  fault,  yet  seldom  just."  In  going  for 
a  drive  in  the  automobile,  James,  Jr.,  always  insisted  upon 
sitting  upon  the  front  seat;  he  was  sure  to  set  up  a  howl  when 
asked  to  sit  in  the  back  seat  where  he  would  not  crowd  others. 
The  maiden  aunt  suggested  that  Jamie  be  left  at  home  a  few 
times  to  cure  him  of  his  selfishness.  At  this  mother  replied: 
"It  is  very  evident  that  you  are  not  a  mother.  I  love  Jamie 
so  much  I  couldn't  think  of  depriving  him  of  the  pleasure  of 
riding."  But  in  the  course  of  her  visit  the  maiden  aunt  noticed 
that  the  small  boy  was  put  into  the  dark  closet  or  slapped 
for  numerous  trifling  misdemeanors. 

Be  kind.  Only  strong  natures  can  be  sweet  while  being  firm. 
It  is  easy  to  bluster.  Black  frowns,  harsh  looks,  and  high,  stri- 
dent voices  go  together,  and  are  an  evidence  that  their  owner 
does  not  possess  the  self-control  necessary  to  deal  with  erring 
childhood.  It  is  not  necessary  to  be  weak  and  sentimental  in 
punishing  a  child,  but  it  is  unforgivable  to  be  violent  and 
unkind. 

Do  not  threaten  or  scold.  "If  you  do  that  again  I'll  spank 
you  and  put  you  to  bed";  "Now,  Donald,  if  you  don't  behave 
I'll  tell  your  father  when  he  comes  home  to-night";  "If  you 
don't  quit  teasing  for  candy,  I  won't  bring  you  shopping  with 
me  again."  The  threatening  of  mothers  which  is  never  carried 
out,  nor  meant  to  be,  would  fill  a  book  as  large  as  the  unabridged 
dictionary.  The  serious  aspect  of  it  is  that  the  child  soon 
learns  that  his  mother  usually  does  not  mean  what  she  says, 
so  he  takes  the  chance  and  forms  the  bad  habit  of  disobeying; 
perhaps  he  even  loses  something  of  respect  for  her.    Then  the 


252  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

mother  wonders  why  she  has  so  much  trouble  teaching  her 
child  to  ''mind."  The  mother  who  scolds  wonders  why  the 
child  does  not  respond  to  her  scolding.  The  reason  is  that 
as  he  becomes  accustomed  to  it  he  grows  hardened  so  that  it 
loses  its  effect.  And  while  this  process  is  going  on  irreparable 
injury  is  being  done  to  the  nature  of  the  child. 

Avoid  the  excessive  use  of  commands.  It  often  happens  that  a 
suggestion  or  a  request  used  instead  of  a  command  will  save 
a  situation  of  strain  and  threatened  disobedience.  Even  young 
children  possess  a  personality,  and  like  to  be  left  the  satisfaction 
of  doing  a  thing  because  they  are  asked  to  instead  of  being 
commanded  to  do  it.  To  be  sure,  there  are  many  times  when 
the  child  should  be  given  a  command  and  instant  obedience 
required.  Nevertheless,  the  constant  use  of  "Don't  do  that," 
"Stop  that,  now,"  "Go  and  do  this"  tends  to  develop  machines 
instead  of  individuals  out  of  our  children.  Such  treatment  is 
mechanical  and  arbitrary,  a  mistake  on  our  part  and  a  tragedy 
for  our  child.  Let  obedience  come  from  within  as  far  as 
possible. 

Make  it  easy  for  the  child  to  obey.  The  cheerful,  expectant,  yet 
low  tone  of  voice  has  a  wonderful  effect  on  the  child.  It  does 
not  throw  him  out  of  emotional  balance  as  does  the  high-pitched, 
irritated  voice,  and  it  goes  a  long  way  toward  helping  him  obey 
even  against  his  inclinations.  The  child  at  two  years  of  age 
may  be  given  simple  lessons  in  obedience  by  telling  him  to  pick 
up  a  plaything  he  has  dropped,  helping  him  at  the  same  time 
in  the  act  until  he  knows  what  is  expected.  Words  of  encourage- 
ment are  helpful  to  the  child  when  a  required  act  has  been 
performed.  This  natural  reward  is  often  an  act  of  courtesy 
due  the  child,  and  serves  to  teach  him  a  lesson  in  social  conduct. 

Avoiding  Unnecessary  Conflict 

The  play  spirit,  already  mentioned  in  another  chapter,  is  an 
excellent  means  of  securing  the  child's  cooperation  and  saving 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  CHARACTER  253 

an  unnecessary  conflict  of  wills;  for  it  is  a  far  better  system  of 
control  to  have  the  child  do  a  certain  thing  because  he  chooses 
than  because  he  must.  This  incident  illustrates  the  point  :^ 
Mother  was  very  tired.  The  day  had  been  a  particularly  try- 
ing one.  The  sight  of  Billy's  playthings  scattered  over  the 
floor  did  not  relieve  her.  The  thought  of  getting  things  picked 
up,  giving  Billy  his  supper,  and  putting  him  to  bed  before  she 
prepared  the  evening  meal  for  the  rest  of  the  family  was  not 
inviting;  and  Billy  was  sometimes  diihcult.  But  the  memory 
of  a  similar  occasion  flashed  across  her  mind  when  there  had 
been  disastrous  consequences  from  a  hasty  and  cross  com- 
mand. There  had  been  an  ugly  response  on  Billy's  part,  and 
later  he  had  cried  himself  to  sleep  with  some  after  effects  hold- 
ing over  to  the  next  day.  There  must  be  none  of  that  this  time. 
Quickly  and  smilingly  she  said,  "Billy,  let's  play  the  toys  are 
animals  and  that  they  all  have  to  be  put  into  the  barn  for  the 
night— Let's  see,  what  will  the  blocks  be?"  "Cows?"  "All 
right;  and  what  will  be  the  engine  and  train?"  "Horses," 
suggests  Billy,  "cause  it  goes  fas'  just  hke  a  wunaway  horse!" 
and,  entering  into  the  spirit  of  the  game,  he  suits  the  action 
to  the  word.  In  a  very  short  time  the  toys  are  all  put  away. 
Billy  is  still  in  his  happy  mood.  And  mother?  The  little  play 
has  rested  her,  and  she  has  almost  forgotten  how  tired  she  was. 

The  difference  in  two  methods  of  treatment,  one  of  conflict 
and  one  of  an  appeal  to  imagination  which  got  around  the 
troublesome  point  is  illustrated  in  this  incident  r 

"Little  Dick,  aged  four,  had  been  ill  and  was  just  recover- 
ing, and  so  his  mother  was  alarmed,  one  cold  winter  day,  to 
discover  that  he  had  become  thoroughly  chilled  and  that  his 
little  hands  were  icy.  In  her  effort  to  warm  him  up  quickly 
she  tried  to  induce  him  to  drink  some  warm  milk.     But  Dick, 


'  Caroline  Clark  Barney. 

2  Frances  A.  Gray,  in  an  article  written  for  the  National  Kindergarten 
Association. 


254         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

who  had  grown  somewhat  irritable  of  late,  absolutely  refused. 
He  threw  himself  on  the  floor  and  screamed  at  the  idea  of  drink- 
ing warm  milk.  To  try  to  discipline  a  sick  child  and  handle 
such  a  fit  of  temper  was  a  real  problem,  and  even  more  than 
securing  obedience  she  was  interested  in  getting  him  quickly 
warm.  Nothing  but  alternate  commands  and  coaxings  had 
occurred  to  her  when  Uncle  came  to  the  rescue.  Now,  Dick 
had  a  profound  interest  in  automobiles,  and  his  uncle  took 
advantage  of  this  fact  to  calm  and  interest  him. 

"Dickie,"  he  said,  taking  the  cup  of  milk  in  one  hand  and 
Dick's  small  cold  hand  in  the  other,  'T  want  to  try  a  new  kind 
of  gas  in  my  automobile  and  see  if  it  will  go  better."  Dick's 
screams  ceased  suddenly,  as  his  rage  changed  to  interest.  He 
allowed  himself  to  be  led  into  another  room  and  seated  on  the 
couch  close  to  a  radiator.  To  be  asked  to  drink  the  milk  had, 
a  moment  before,  filled  him  with  unaccountable  wrath,  but  if 
he  was  an  automobile  and  was  being  given  gasoline,  that  was 
an  entirely  different  matter,  and  he  sipped  the  milk  and  listened 
with  absorbed  interest  to  uncle's  interesting  comments  about 
the  improvement  in  the  running  of  the  "car"  on  its  new 
fuel. 

Suddenly  Uncle  picked  up  a  blanket  and  threw  it  across  the 
small  boy's  knee.  "Why,  Dick,"  he  said,  "you  ought  to  have 
a  radiator  cover  for  this  sort  of  weather.  Your  engine  will  be 
too  cold  to  start!"  Not  a  murmur  of  protest  followed  and  a 
moment  later  uncle  exclaimed  in  pretended  distress,  "This 
battery  is  frozen!  We'll  have  to  thaw  it  out,"  and  Dick  obe- 
diently held  out  his  cold  fingers  to  the  radiator  until  uncle 
was  satisfied  that  the  "battery"  was  properly  warm. 

Dick  was  an  entirely  appeased,  fed,  and  comfortable  child 
at  the  end  of  this  appeal  to  his  imagination,  whereas  the  ordinary 
method  of  entreaties,  commands,  and  perhaps  even  punishment 
would  have  left  him  exhausted  from  nervousness  and  tears, 
with  a  disposition  not  improved  by  the  experience. 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  CliARACTER  255 

When  Punishment  is  Required 

Probably  no  child  ever  grew  up  without  punishment;  cer- 
tainly every  person  has  suffered  punishment  that  he  brought 
upon  himself  if  none  was  inflicted  by  others.  For  this  is  a  world 
where,  in  spite  of  all  our  love  can  do  to  shield  him,  the  child 
must  learn  that  there  is  a  law  of  cause  and  effect  and  that 
what  one  sows  one  is  likely  to  reap.  For  example,  he  puts  out 
his  hand  and  touches  the  hot  stove,  and  no  pity  or  care  can 
save  him  from  suft"ering  from  the  effect  of  this  unfit  act.  The 
small  boy  eats  green  apples,  and  nature  sees  that  he  gets  his 
lesson. 

It  is  well  for  the  child  to  be  brought  to  realize  as  early  as 
possible  nature's  law  of  cause  and  eft'ect.  If  he  is  led  to  feel 
that  in  some  natural  way  the  pain,  the  inconvenience,  or  the 
suffering  must  follow  as  a  consequence  of  his  wrong  act 
or  carelessness,  this  is  much  better  than  to  feel  that  he 
has  been  punished  because  mother  or  father  was  put  out 
about  it. 

Again  and  again  Harlan  would  go  out  to  play  without  his 
mittens,  although  mother  would  remind  him  of  them.  It  was 
after  the  first  snowfall  and  there  had  been  snowballing;  that 
night  a  severe  cold  threatened  him.  Mother  talked  to  him  of 
the  serious  consequence.  He  seemed  somewhat  impressed,  for 
he  said,  "Muvver,  forgive  me  this  time,  won't  you?"  Mother 
replied,  "It  is  of  yourself  that  you  should  ask  forgiveness," 
and  then  she  explained  how  he  had  brought  trouble  upon  himself 
by  his  own  carelessness.  The  child  who  willfully  breaks  a  toy 
must  get  along  without  it;  mother  does  not  get  him  another 
the  next  time  she  goes  downtown.  Four-year-old  Muriel, 
through  the  influence  of  a  playmate,  was  getting  into  the  habit 
of  running  away.  Mother  had  talked  to  her  repeatedly,  but 
with  no  effect.  After  a  vain  search  around  the  premises,  she 
traced  the  child  to  the  railway  station  by  the  reports  of  people 


256  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

who  had  seen  the  two  youngsters  trudging  along.  She  was 
going  to  find  daddy,  who  had  gone  on  the  "twain."  On  the 
return  home  mother  serenely  undressed  Muriel  and  put  her 
to  bed,  while  she  herself  got  ready  for  a  little  shopping  trip. 
It  was  a  logical  punishment.  The  child  usually  accompanied 
mother  to  the  store  and  mother  always  enjoyed  her  company; 
but  this  time  she  had  forfeited  the  privilege  and  must  go  to 
bed. 

The  law  upon  which  the  effect  of  punishment  depends  is 
stated  in  psychological  terms  as  follows:  An  act  to  which  un- 
pleasantness, pain,  or  discomfort  attaches  has  a  tendency  to  be 
discontinued.  And  that  is  the  purpose  of  punishment — to 
cure  the  undesirable  act.  One  mother  said  to  a  psychol- 
ogist, "What  shall  I  do  with  my  two-and-a-half  year 
child?  She  tears  every  book  or  paper  she  gets  her  hands 
upon." 

"Why  not  punish  her?"  asked  the  psychologist. 

"Punish  a  child  who  cannot  understand  that  what  she  is 
doing  is  wrong!"  exclaimed  the  mother. 

"Exactly,"  the  psychologist  replied.  "All  you  need  to  do  is 
to  spat  her  hands  sharply  a  few  times  and  so  attach  pain  to 
the  wrong  act.  The  act  itself  will  cease  long  before  she  can 
understand  that  it  is  wrong,  and  so  will  be  well  out  of  the  way 
with  no  bad  habit  formed." 

This  mother  was  wise  enough  to  follow  the  sensible  advice 
given  her,  and  in  a  week  was  able  to  report  that  the  tendency 
to  tear  books  had  disappeared. 

It  naturally  follows  from  this  law  that  if  an  offense  is  to  be 
punished,  the  punishment  should  follow  sufficiently  close  upon 
the  wrong  act  so  that  the  connection  between  the  two  is  not 
lost  upon  the  child.  It  should  be  suited  to  the  offense,  and 
should  be  sufficient  to  be  curative  in  its  effects.  It  should  be 
administered  without  anger  or  vindictiveness,  but  also  without 
weakness  which  will  rob  it  of  its  effect. 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  CHARACTER  257 

Books  for  mothers: 

A  Study  of  Child  Nature,  Elizabeth  Harrison.  Published 
by  the  National  Kindergarten  and  Elementary  College, 
Chicago. 

As  the  Twig  Is  Bent,  Susan  Chenery.  Houghton  Mifflin 
Company,  Boston. 

Parents  and  Their  Problems.  Published  by  National  Con- 
gress of  Mothers,  Washington,  D.  C. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES 

We  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter  how  all  religious 
training  relates  itself  to  everyday  living.  The  God  whom  the 
child  comes  to  know  must  be  a  God  who  has  a  part  in  all  that 
the  child  does  and  thinks  and  says.  Jesus  must  be  to  him  the 
one  who  lives  the  finest,  truest,  most  helpful  life  that  man 
ever  lived.  Long  before  he  can  understand  any  of  these  things 
in  a  complete  way  he  can  have  grounded  in  his  nature  the  great 
fundamentals  of  right  behavior  upon  which  Christian  character 
is  built.  Teaching  and  leading  the  child  to  practice  the  funda- 
mental virtues  is  therefore  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  training 
in  religion. 

Training  to  Cure  Selfishness 

All  children  need  to  be  trained  in  unselfishness,  for  selfish- 
ness is  a  natural  trait  in  every  young  child.  Nature  through 
instinct  prompts  him  to  seek  first  his  own  comfort.  The  babe 
is  given  everything  he  wishes  and  needs,  with  no  thought  on 
his  part  to  share  his  possessions  with  another.  With  nature 
and  experience  both  turning  his  attention  and  desires  in  upon 
himself  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  selfish  attitude  is  developed. 

The  best  way  to  cure  any  undesirable  trait  is  to  supplant  it 
by  bringing  in  its  opposite.  The  young  child's  training  in  un- 
selfishness may  begin  by  having  him  divide  his  "goodies"  and 
share  his  playthings  with  other  children.  It  is  much  more 
difficult  with  the  child  who  lacks  brothers  and  sisters  in  the 
home.  This  difficulty  can  be  met  in  part  at  least  by  the  mother 
leading  the  child  to  share  with  her  or  with  the  father.  "Give 
mother  a  piece,"  or  "Don't  you  want  to  save  some  for  father?" 

258 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES       259 

are  helpful  suggestions.  Giving  to  friends  or  guests  is  good 
training,  and  adults  should  always  accept  from  the  child  for 
the  value  of  the  training  it  gives. 

As  the  child  grows  older  the  Christmas  season  affords  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  lessons  in  sharing.  From  the  first 
the  parents  should  teach  that  a  large  part  of  the  joy  that  Christ- 
mas brings  comes  in  sharing  as  well  as  in  receiving.  In  a  wealthy 
suburban  town  a  kindergarten  teacher  was  talking  one  Sunday 
morning  about  giving  to  the  poor  children.  Mildred  raised 
her  hand  and  said  she  was  going  to  give  one  of  her  dollies  away 
when  she  was  through  playing  with  it.  It  took  some  little  time 
to  show  the  child  that  we  must  give  of  our  best  and  the  things 
that  we  would  ourselves  like  and  not  give  some  worn  out  thing 
that  has  lost  its  beauty  and  attractiveness  to  us. 

Birthdays  should  foster  the  giving  spirit.  Not  only  should 
the  child  receive  presents  on  the  birthday  but  he  should  be 
trained  to  celebrate  his  birthday  by  making  others  happy  as 
well.  Children  respond  readily  to  the  suggestion,  "What 
would  you  like  to  do  to-day  to  make  somebody  happy  because 
it  is  your  birthday?"  The  state  of  pleasure  the  child  is  in 
usually  makes  him  glad  to  do  some  little  service  to  add  to 
another's  happiness,  and  a  beautiful  lesson  has  thereby  been 
learned. 

Cultivating  the  Spirit  of  Helpfulness 

Children  readily  learn  that  helpfulness  is  a  part  of  unselfish- 
ness. "Jane  is  a  real  little  helper,"  mother  says  to  the  caller. 
"She  takes  very  many  steps  for  mother."  This  courteous 
recognition  of  Jane's  good  qualities  adds  much  to  her  joy  in 
this  service.     Mother  quotes  from  Jane's  new  book: 

This  is  useful  little  Joan 
Bringing  tea  in  all  alone. 
Look  what  careful  steps  she  takes 
So  that  nothing  spills  or  breaks. 


26o  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Though  she's  only  six,  you  see, 
Mother  trusts  her  with  the  tea, 
Let's  her  carry  in  the  tray 
And  be  useful  every  day.* 

The  wise  mother  allows  her  child  to  help  her  about  the  house, 
although  she  realizes  that  she  could  herself  do  the  task  much 
more  quickly  if  she  were  not  bothered  by  the  untrained  little 
hand.  If  when  the  impulse  to  help  is  present  in  the  child  it 
is  repressed  by,  ''Don't  bother  me  now,"  or  "Run  away,  dear; 
I'm  too  busy  now  to  let  you  help  me,"  that  impulse  is  likely 
to  die  down  instead  of  increasing.  Then  some  day  we  may 
grieve  because  our  children  do  not  care  to  be  with  us  or  to 
offer  their  help  in  the  many  home  duties.  For  the  child  to  be 
unselfish,  kind,  and  considerate  of  others  the  home  must  give 
the  training,  and  the  parents  must  teach  by  their  example  those 
little  courtesies  which  count  much  in  the  making  of  character. 

The  principle  upon  which  this  type  of  training  is  based  is 
clear  and  definite.  Emphasize  the  virtues  and  the  faults  will 
take  care  of  themselves.  For  the  child  who  is  selfish  we  need 
but  to  cultivate  unselfishness  and  giving.  For  the  child  who  is 
untidy  we  will  encourage  neatness  rather  than  to  find  fault 
with  the  untidiness.  For  the  child  who  is  noisy  and  boisterous 
to  the  extent  of  annoying  others  we  will  cultivate  control  and 
quietness  and  consideration.  Above  all,  we  shall  not  forget 
to  recognize  and  to  praise  even  the  beginnings  of  the  virtue 
which  we  are  seeking  to  encourage.  Every  child  will  respond 
better  to  the  praise  of  doing  well  than  to  fault  finding  because 
he  does  ill.  "How  quiet  and  helpful  my  little  Peggy  is  to-day!" 
will  be  worth  more  than  a  dozen  scoldings  about  noise  and 
mischief. 

Back  of  all  this  kind  of  training  can  be  brought  in  the  ideal 
presented  by  the  story  of  Jesus  in  his  kindness,  his  helpfulness, 

'  From  Little  People.  Published  by  David  McKay,  Philadelphia.  Used 
by  permission. 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES       261 

and  his  unselfishness,  and  how  he  went  about  doing  good. 
This  linking  of  the  fundamental  virtues  with  the  thought  of 
Jesus  and  of  God  gives  them  a  distinct  religious  feeling  and  a 
value  which  in  the  end,  as  the  child  grows  older,  will  tend  to 
make  them  recognized  as  a  part  of  Christian  life  and  conduct. 

Learning  to  Tell  the  Truth 

Truthfulness  is  one  of  the  fundamental  virtues  which  must 
receive  attention,  and  in  connection  with  which  it  is  possible 
to  make  the  most  grievous  errors  with  our  children. 

"When  my  boy  was  only  four  years  old  I  began  to  punish 
him  every  time  he  told  a  lie.  It  took  great  persistence  to  cure 
him,  but  now  he  is  the  most  truthful  child  you  ever  knew.  You 
can  depend  upon  his  word  every  time."  The  father  spoke 
with  great  pride,  ignorant  that  the  merry  little  lad  next  door, 
who  was  as  truthful  as  his  own  sullen  boy,  had  also  passed 
through  three  years  of  "romancing,"  but  with  no  punishment 
for  lying  and  consequently  no  unhappy  memories  from  this 
source  to  carry  into  later  life. 

This  parent,  like  a  great  many  others,  did  not  understand 
the  natural  process  in  the  mental  development  of  every  in- 
dividual. What  are  often  called  lies  on  the  part  of  young  chil- 
dren have  nothing  at  all  in  common  with  actual  lying,  and  to 
use  the  term  "lie"  or  "har"  to  the  child  in  connection  with 
them  is  a  grave  mistake.  Let  us  look  a  little  more  closely  into 
the  question,  beginning  with  a  glance  at  the  part  played  by 
imagination. 

Imagination  is  the  power  by  which  the  mind  makes  pictures 
of  the  objects  that  have  been  seen,  touched,  tasted,  heard,  etc. 
Each  of  us  can  see  in  our  mind's  eye  the  exciting  event  we  wit- 
nessed yesterday,  or  hear  in  our  mind's  ear  the  laughter  or 
songs  of  the  merry  group  we  were  in  last  evening.  We  often 
remember  in  these  images,  we  think  in  them,  they  form  almost 
the  whole  of  the  stuff  of  our  imagination. 


262  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

At  first  the  little  child  does  not  have  such  mental  pictures. 
He  has  only  the  world  of  actual  objects  present  to  his  senses. 
Soon,  however,  the  images  of  these  objects  begin  to  form  in 
the  mind,  and  he  can  think  of  mother,  father,  the  "bow-wow," 
his  toys,  in  terms  of  a  mental  picture  of  them,  seeing  them  in 
his  mind's  eye  or  hearing  them  in  his  mind's  ear  when  they 
are  not  actually  present  to  him.  This  means  that  his  imagina- 
tion is  beginning,  the  power  by  which  he  can  think  of  the  absent 
as  if  present  to  the  senses.  This  power  has  soon  grown  so  that 
the  child  can  think  whole  trains  of  images  in  the  form  of  plans 
for  play,  adventures,  or  impersonations  of  others. 

Probably  as  early  as  the  age  of  two  or  three  years  the  child 
is  beginning  to  make  combinations  of  his  images  into  con- 
nected trains.  As  you  tell  him  a  story,  the  images  form  in 
his  mind  as  the  words  suggest  them,  and  he  is  able  to  see  the 
wonderful  events  of  the  story  taking  place,  see  the  characters 
who  take  part  in  it,  picture  the  whole  so  that  he  under- 
stands and  follows  the  story. 

This  new-found  power  of  mental  picturing  opens  up  a  new 
world  to  the  child.  Not  only  does  he  take  the  images  from  his 
own  experiences  and  from  the  stories  he  is  told  and  combine 
them  freely  into  new  forms  and  situations,  but  he  pictures 
himself  as  having  a  part  in  them,  for  self  is  always  a  starting 
point  with  its  interests  and  activities.  With  this  power  grown 
active  many  a  child  lives  in  a  land  of  his  own  imagination 
which  may  become  almost  as  real  and  mean  quite  as  much  to 
him  as  the  actual  commonplace  world  about  him.  Often  does 
he  create,  with  his  power  of  picturing,  imaginary  companions 
with  whom  he  plays  and  talks  quite  as  if  they  had  real  existence. 
Probably  almost  every  child  passes  through  this  stage  of  unreal 
reality  created  by  his  imagination.  When  this  world  of  im- 
agination becomes  very  vivid,  there  is  often  a  tendency  to 
confuse  the  actual  with  the  imaginary,  so  real  are  they 
both. 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES       263 

« 

The  Fictions  of  Imagination  Not  Lies 

It  is  this  very  confusion  which  many  times  leads  to  what 
are  mistakenly  called  children's  first  lies  and  which  in  reality 
are  but  the  expression  of  the  images  which  flood  the  child's 
mind  and  press  for  expression  in  speech.  We  are  to  remember 
that  at  this  stage  the  child  has  not  yet  learned  to  distinguish 
between  fact  and  fancy,  and  does  not  know  what  "truth"  and 
"lie"  mean  nor  the  difference  between  them. 

"Who  ate  the  piece  of  cake?"  mother  asked  three-year-old 
Roger  on  her  return  to  the  room  from  which  she  had  been  gone 
a  few  minutes.  "Why,  muvver,  I  fink  a  big  bow-wow  eated 
it!"  "Now,  Roger  you  know  that  is  not  the  truth.  Mother 
will  have  to  tell  daddy  to-night  that  Little  Boy  is  telling  lies. 
Now,  Roger  who  did  eat  the  piece  of  cake?"  But  Roger  insisted 
that  "the  bow-wow"  did  eat  it,  and  this  time  added  more  to 
the  story.  That  night  daddy  is  told  about  it  in  the  presence 
of  the  small  boy  who  is  enjoying  the  idea  of  make-believe  to 
its  fullest  extent.  This  time  when  daddy  asks  him  his  images 
have  changed  and  he  "finks  the  moo-moo  eated  it,  and  it  jumped 
wight  froo  de  window." 

Father  and  mother  are  both  very  much  shocked  and  decide 
the  small  boy  will  have  to  be  punished.  Accordingly,  he  is 
spanked  and  put  to  bed.  A  little  while  after  mother  goes  into 
the  room  to  see  if  Little  Lad  is  going  to  sleep  properly.  In  her 
surprise  at  finding  him  uncovered,  she  asks,  "Who  threw  the 
covers  off  you  so,  laddie?"  And  Roger  answers,  "A  nangel, 
muvver,  flew  wight  froo  de  window."  "Oh,  laddie,  laddie, 
what  will  become  of  you!"  mother  asks.  "I  fink,  muvver,  I'll 
be  the  garbage  man."  One  can  readily  see  that  the  imagina- 
tion of  this  child  was  unusually  active;  perhaps  if  his  mother's 
mind  had  been  less  matter-of-fact,  it  would  have  been  better 
for  both. 

The  mother  should  have  understood  the  play  of  imagination 


264  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

on  the  part  of  her  boy  and  should  have  been  sympathetic  with 
him.  She  should  have  realized  that  when  Roger  was  a  little 
older  he  could  be  led  to  see  the  difference  between  fact  and 
fancy.  Just  now  Roger  was  giving  rein  to  his  imaginative 
fancies  with  no  conscious  intention  of  deceiving,  which  is,  after 
all,  the  difference  between  lying  and  imagining. 

How  Fact  and  Fiction  Become  Confused 

Five-year-old  Harold  spent  a  very  happy  day  with  little 
Jack,  who  with  his  mother  had  so  tamed  a  squirrel  that  it  came 
to  the  window  and  ate  from  the  children's  hands.  "Wouldn't 
it  be  fun  if  it  would  come  into  the  room  and  play  with  us?" 
"Yes,  and  get  into  the  doll's  bed  and  sit  in  a  chair  and  eat  from 
a  table."  The  playful  images  were  taking  form  and  each  child 
made  his  contribution  to  the  delightful  romance.  Two  or  three 
weeks  later  something  was  said  in  Harold's  presence  about  squir- 
rels, and  immediately  there  came  to  his  mind  all  the  memories 
of  Jack's  squirrel.  Memory  and  imagination  were  so  confused 
that  the  little  lad  probably  thought  he  was  relating  an  actual 
occurrence  when  he  told  of  the  squirrel  which  had  eaten  from 
his  hand,  slept  in  a  doll's  bed,  and  sat  in  a  chair.  Naturally, 
he  resented  as  an  injustice  the  punishment  which  followed, 
and  did  not  understand  wherein  he  had  done  wrong. 

"What  is  truf?"  four-year-old  Margaret  asked  earnestly  of 
a  loving  friend  who  rebuked  her  for  not  teUing  the  truth.  The 
friend,  by  definite  illustration,  helped  her  to  understand  the 
difference  between  fact  and  imagination,  and  for  several  weeks 
the  child's  stories  were  followed  by  the  question,  "Was  I  tell- 
ing the  truth  that  time?"  Finally  she  was  able  to  distinguish 
the  difference,  and  her  imaginative  stories  were  introduced  by, 
"This  isn't  true  but — "  "Once  upon  a  time,"  etc.  So  she  lived 
in  her  make-believe  world,  joyously  increasing  a  very  valuable 
mental  power,  yet  being  saved  the  reproof  and  punishment 
too  often  meted  out  to  children  who  are  not  understood. 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES       265 

"Let's  Pretend" 

The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  we  older  ones  have  come  a  long 
way  in  our  mental  processes.  We  have  forgotten  that  the  little 
child's  mind  is  still  immature;  that  he  has  not  developed  his 
power  of  reasoning,  of  taking  the  steps  one  by  one  in  a  logical 
manner,  and  hence  jumps  at  conclusions  that  are  not  at  all 
accurate.  Shall  we  suppress  his  imagination?  Most  certainly 
not!  The  child's  mental  life  is  richer  for  this  wonderful  gift. 
Through  it  as  he  grows  older  he  sees  in  his  study  of  geography 
real  people  and  places  instead  of  a  map  on  the  wall.  In  his 
study  of  history  or  of  the  Bible  he  sees  through  it  the  heroes 
and  the  wonderful  things  they  did  instead  of  a  cut-and-dried 
account  of  a  battle  or  the  uninteresting  record  of  an  event. 
Through  imagination  the  child  sets  up  ideals  and  ambitions  and 
pictures  himself  in  the  act  of  achieving  them;  and  some  day 
he  will  achieve!  When  we  stop  to  think  about  it,  very  little 
progress  would  have  been  made  in  this  old  world  of  ours  had  it 
not  been  for  the  visions  of  the  poets  and  philosophers,  and  the 
visions  of  scientists  and  inventors  who  saw  in  their  mind's  eye 
the  wonderful  achievements  that  might  be  possible.  They  took 
the  simple  facts  and  made  new  creations.  "Let's  pretend," 
says  the  little  child.  Yes,  let  us  pretend  with  the  children, 
and  be  glad  and  thankful  that  we  still  have  that  wonderful 
gift  of  childhood  that  enables  us  not  only  to  enter  but  to  fully 
enjoy  the  land  of  make-believe  with  them. 

The  Actual  Lie 

But  what  shall  we  do  about  the  child  who,  a  little  later, 
when  he  is  able  to  know  right  from  wrong,  really  tells  a  lie,  really 
intends  and  purposes  to  deceive  for  advantage  to  himself?  First 
of  all,  let  us  note  that  most  children  are  not  conscious  liars. 
They  do  not  usually,  at  least  early  in  their  lying,  lie  in  cold 
blood;  that  is,  they  do  not  definitely  plan  ahead  that  they  will 


266  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

tell  a  lie.  More  often  it  comes  about  that  they  are  found  out 
or  suspected  in  some  misdemeanor  and  the  question  is  suddenly 
thrust  upon  them,  "Did  you  do  that?"  The  fear  of  punishment 
or  disgrace  may  prove  too  great  and  bring  on  a  denial;  a  lie 
has  been  told  and  the  way  made  easier  for  the  next  one. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  some  parents  actually  force  their 
children  into  lying — force  them  by  harsh  and  unsympathetic 
approach  after  misdemeanors  have  been  committed;  force  them 
by  badgering,  threatening,  cornering,  and  cross-questioning; 
force  them  by  threats  and  accusations.  How  much  better 
if  the  approach  of  parent  to  child  could  always  be  sympathetic 
and  kindly,  even  when  firmness  is  necessary!  How  much 
better  if  from  the  first  we  could  cultivate  in  our  children  a  love 
for  the  truth  and  a  pride  in  being  brave  enough  and  strong  enough 
to  tell  the  truth  even  when  it  hurts!  How  much  better  if  we 
could  keep  before  them  the  positive  side  rather  than  feeling 
obliged  to  press  upon  them  the  negative  side  of  their  conduct! 

Nor  should  we  forget  the  effects  of  our  own  example  on  the 
child.  Do  we  always  adhere  strictly  to  the  truth  before  our 
children?  Do  we  ever  make  a  promise  and  then  not  keep  our 
word?  Do  we  ever  make  a  threat  and  then  not  carry  it  out? 
Do  we  ever  tel'  "white  lies"  which  to  the  child  may  have  a 
different  hue?  Small  use  for  us  to  urge  upon  the  child  standards 
which  we  ourselves  do  not  maintain  in  his  presence. 

Tantrums  and  Temper 

Chief  among  the  problems  confronting  the  mother  who 
would  ground  her  child  in  the  fundamental  virtues  is  the  problem 
of  temper.  Many  young  children  are  tempestuous  to  an  un- 
usual degree. 

There  are  a  number  of  underlying  causes,  any  one  of  which 
may  be  responsible  for  a  display  of  temper.  Temper  may  come 
fjom  inherited  temperament,  for  it  is  natively  easier  for  some 
children  to  be  happy  and  good-natured  than  for  others;  it  is 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES       267 

sometimes  the  result  of  contagion  by  suggestion  from  other 
children  or  playmates  who  indulge  in  displays  of  temper;  it 
may  be  induced  by  ill  health,  discomfort,  or  lack  of  sleep.  Possi- 
bly nagging  as  a  mode  of  control  in  the  home  has  created  the 
problem  of  temper  with  more  children  than  we  would  think. 
Parents  who  themselves  indulge  in  fits  of  temper  should  not 
be  surprised  to  see  their  acts  copied  by  the  small  replicas 
of  themselves.  The  impulse  to  imitate  is  strong  with 
children  from  the  age  of  three  or  four  years  on,  and  for  this 
reason,  if  there  were  no  other,  we  parents  should  be  found 
living  at  our  best  from  day  to  day  in  the  presence  of  our 
children. 

But  whatever  the  cause  of  temper,  it  should  be  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  parent  to  discover  this  cause  and  do  everything 
possible  to  correct  the  fault.  The  child  who  is  naturally  in- 
clined to  be  nervous,  high-spirited,  or  easily  crossed  needs 
treatment  calculated  to  calm  and  soothe.  Such  treatment  will 
be  kind,  firm,  and  just. 

Causes  and  Cures  for  Temper 

When  the  problem  of  temper  has  been  brought  about  by 
ill  health  or  discomfort,  the  underlying  causes  of  the  physical 
derangement  must,  of  course,  be  discovered  and  remedied. 
Often  such  causes  are  to  be  found  in  digestive  disorders  or  in 
relation  to  sleep  and  rest.  The  observing  mother  will  study 
her  child,  watch  his  habits  of  life,  and  seek  for  a  remedy  for 
the  trouble.  Often  with  the  cause  removed  the  child  quickly 
again  becomes  himself,  lovable  and  good.  Mother  said  to  father 
one  evening  as  he  came  home  from  his  day's  work:  "Dorothy 
is  as  cross  as  two  sticks.  I  don't  like  to  punish  her,  but  really 
it  has  been  hard  to  get  along  with  the  child  for  a  week."  Father 
said,  "Perhaps  Dorothy  is  not  feeling  well."  "Maybe  so,  but 
I  cannot  see  anything  the  matter  with  her,"  replied  the  mother. 
The  next  morning,  however,  a  fine  rash  of  measles  was  plainly 


268         THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

to  be  seen  over  Dorothy's  body.  It  was  now  clear  why  she  had 
been  cross  and  ill  tempered  for  a  number  of  days. 

To  allow  a  child  constantly  to  indulge  in  tantrums  is  as 
much  a  mistake  as  to  be  oversevere  in  the  case  of  minor  out- 
breaks. To  permit  a  child  to  go  on  day  after  day  in  violent 
outbursts,  making  everyone  around  him  suffer,  is  a  great  in- 
justice to  him;  for  these  Httle  spells  are  weaving  a  chain  of 
habit  which  in  the  end  becomes  a  part  of  disposition  and  is 
very  difficult  to  break.  The  cure  for  such  tantrums  will,  of 
course,  depend  upon  the  cause  which  has  induced  them.  The 
removal  of  the  cause  will  bring  about  a  change  in  temper  if 
the  habit  has  not  been  too  firmly  fixed.  One  child  whose  violent 
temper  took  the  form  of  beating  his  little  playmate  with  his 
fists  was  quickly  snatched  up  by  the  father  and  given  a  severe 
spanking.  When  this  had  occurred  two  or  three  times  the 
tantrums  died  down  and  finally  ceased. 

As  the  child  grows  older  and  is  able  to  understand  that  it 
is  wrong  to  give  way  to  temper,  he  and  his  mother  or  father 
may  have  confidential  talks  at  the  close  of  the  day  which  will 
tend  wonderfully  to  clear  the  atmosphere.  Robert  is  a  fine, 
manly  little  chap,  but  every  now  and  then  his  quick  temper 
gets  the  better  of  him.  After  a  talk  with  his  mother  Robert 
suddenly  dropped  to  his  knees  and  prayed  from  the  depths 
of  his  heart:  "Dear  Father,  I  am  trying,  you  know  I  am  trying. 
Help  me  to  remember  next  time  when  I  feel  like  slapping  little 
sister  that  it  is  naughty.  I  know  it  is  naughty,  and  mother 
says  so  too,  but  I  forget."  And  mother,  kneeling  by  his  side, 
prays  that  she  may  always  remember  herself  to  say  kind,  loving 
words,  and  the  thought  that  mother  too  needs  this  help  from 
the  heavenly  Father  is  a  wonderful  thing  for  the  child. 

Let  us  therefore  study  our  children  and  when  we  see  in  them 
some  undesirable  trait,  whether  it  be  selfishness,  telling  of  lies, 
lack  of  control,  or  any  other  unlovely  element  of  character, 
earnestly  look  into  the  cause  and  quietly  but  sympathetically 


TEACHING  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  VIRTUES    269 

go  to  work  to  supplant  this  trait  with  the  opposite  virtue. 
Let  us  have  so  close  a  relationship  with  our  children  that  with- 
out being  weak  or  sentimental  we  may  be  truly  sympathetic 
with  them  in  their  shortcomings.  Humbly  remembering  our 
own  failings,  let  us  strive  with  the  help  of  the  heavenly  Father 
to  represent  as  best  we  may  the  virtue  we  would  have  them 
attain.  "Remain  thou  in  the  unity  of  life  thyself,"  says  Froebel, 
"or  else  thou  canst  not  lead  thy  child  therein." 

Books  for  mothers: 

Child  Study  and  Child  Training,  William  Byron  Forbush. 

Published  by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 
The  Mind  and  Its  Education,   Chapter  IX,   G.   H.   Betts. 

Published  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Articles  published  by  the  National  Kindergarten  Association, 

New  York  City. 
Training  Little  Children,  Bulletin  No.  39,  1919.     Published 

by  Government  Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Children's  Rights,  by  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin.     Published  by 

Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 


CHAPTER  XrX 
CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS 

Perhaps  this  chapter  should  be  called  "Mothers'  Problems," 
for  every  problem  connected  with  the  life  of  her  child  is  the 
mother's  concern.  Not  a  day  will  pass  without  its  problems, 
little  or  big,  yet  there  are  some  outstanding  ones  so  universal 
in  child  life  that  they  demand  special  attention. 

Among  these  is  the  problem  of  childish  fears.  Almost  every 
child  suffers  more  or  less  from  the  effect  of  fears — fears  of  the 
dark,  of  goblins,  of  ogres  and  giants,  of  feathered  and  furry 
things,  of  things  unknown  and  but  dimly  imagined,  and  for 
this  reason  all  the  more  fearful;  and,  after  the  age  of  four  or 
five,  of  death.  Some,  owing  to  wrong  teaching  or  chance  im- 
pressions, even  have  a  depressing  fear  of  God. 

The  Problem  of  Childhood  Fears 

Whence  come  all  these  fears?  Surely,  we  do  not  deliberately 
plant  them  in  the  lives  of  our  children?  No;  the  most  of  the 
child's  fears  are  a  heritage  bequeathed  to  him  by  the  race.  They 
come  to  him  in  the  form  of  instincts  which  have  been  accumu- 
lating and  gathering  strength  for  ages. 

What  is  more  wonderful  than  nature's  contribution  of  in- 
stincts to  the  individual!  One  writer  says:  "We  are  a  part 
of  a  great  unbroken  procession  of  life,  which  began  at  the  be- 
ginning and  will  go  on  till  the  end.  Each  generation  receives, 
through  heredity,  the  products  of  the  long  experience  through 
which  the  race  has  passed.  The  generation  receiving  the  gift 
to-day  lives  its  own  brief  hfe,  makes  its  own  little  contribution 
to  the  sum  total,  and  then  passes  on  as  millions  have  done 
before.      Through    heredity    the    achievements,    the    passions, 

270 


CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS  271 

the  fears,  and  the  tragedies  of  generations  long  since  moldered 
to  dust  stir  our  blood  and  tone  our  nerves  for  the  conflict  of 
to-day." 

Mosso  tells  us  that  "Instinct  is  the  voice  of  past  generations 
reverberating  like  a  distant  echo  in  the  cells  of  the  nervous 
system.  We  feel  the  breath,  the  advice,  the  experience  of  all 
men,  from  those  who  lived  on  acorns  and  struggled  like  wild 
beasts,  dying  naked  in  the  forests,  down  to  the  virtue  and  toil 
of  our  father,  the  fear  and  love  of  our  mother." 

The  child  fears,  therefore,  because  of  his  fear  heredity  coming 
to  him  down  ages  of  time.  One  man  now  in  middle  age  tells 
how  in  early  childhood  he  was  oppressed  by  groundless  fears 
of  a  dark  room  where  he  was  put  alone  to  sleep  and  where  he 
lay  in  cold  perspiration  and  almost  mortal  agony,  expecting 
each  moment  that  a  terrible  shape  would  come  through  the 
trapdoor  in  the  ceiling  and  carry  him  away.  Such  fear  is  not 
reasonable,  but  when  present  in  the  child's  mind  it  is  relent- 
less and  resistless  and  should  be  treated  with  sympathy  and 
kindness.  It  is  easy  for  an  adult  who  has  forgotten  his  own 
childhood  to  pooh!  pooh!  childish  fear. 

The  Treatment  of  Fear 

The  wise  mother  will  recognize  her  child's  fears  as  instinctive 
and  deal  gently  with  them.  Usually  such  fears  pass  away 
naturally  as  the  child  grows  older  and  are  quickly  forgotten. 
Some  adults  say  they  cannot  recall  marked  trouble  with  child- 
ish fears.  This  is  probably  partly  a  matter  of  memory;  it  is 
partly  a  matter  of  inheritance;  but  it  is  also  a  matter  of  train- 
ing, for  the  fear  tendency  of  childhood  can  be  greatly  accentuated 
by  unwise  treatment.  Possibly  if  the  child  has  never  been 
shut  up  in  a  dark  closet,  if  he  has  never  been  left  alone  in  the 
house;  if  he  has  never  been  told  that  the  '^bugaboo"  man  will 
come  and  get  him,  or  that  the  policeman  locks  naughty  children 
up  in  a  big  dark  room ;  if  father  has  never  laughed  at  him  when 


272  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

he  expressed  fear  of  the  dark  in  going  to  bed  alone,  or  if  he 
has  never  been  told  harrowing  ghost  stories  or  wild  tales  about 
witches,  possibly  then,  the  child  may  not  know  fear;  or  if  he 
does  have  such  fears,  they  will  be  short  lived. 

To  govern  children  through  sense  of  fear  is  not  only  cruel 
but  stupid.  One  who  uses  this  device  has  few  resources  at 
command  and  lacks  sympathetic  insight  into  child  nature. 
Marion  is  now  a  young  woman,  but  she  never  hears  the  first 
sound  of  the  bell  of  the  scissors  grinder  that  she  does  not  expe- 
rience a  flash  of  incipient  fear.  In  her  childhood  days  the  scissors 
grinder  was  called  the  Ragman  and  many  times  the  maid  would 
say,  "If  you  don't  be  good,  I'll  let  the  Ragman  take  you." 

Kenneth  is  a  lad  of  nine  years,  but  at  the  sudden  appearance 
of  a  big  dog  he  trembles  with  fear.  His  mother  has  always 
been  very  careful  to  keep  her  word  with  her  children  and  always 
told  them  the  truth.  When  Kenneth  was  three  a  new  maid 
was  employed.  Kenneth  was  left  to  his  own  devices  and  spent 
much  time  playing  in  the  kitchen.  At  any  appearance  of  naughti- 
ness, the  maid  would  say:  "There's  a  big  dog  down  cellar.  I'll 
put  you  down  there  if  you  don't  behave."  The  experience 
made  a  lasting  impression  upon  him,  and  Kenneth  is  now 
paying  for  this  cruel  treatment.  Would  not  the  Master  have 
said,  "It  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck — "? 

When  fears  exist  no  amount  of  ridicule  or  forcing  will  help 
a  child  to  overcome  these  terrors  or  cure  him  of  them.  To 
laugh  at  him  only  makes  the  matter  worse.  He  still  has  the 
fear,  and  he  cherishes  the  hurt  feeling  because  he  was  laughed 
at.  His  confidence  has  been  lost  and  he  will  not  tell  us  again 
of  his  fear,  but  will  suffer  in  silence.  If  we  have  the  child's 
confidence,  we  can  do  much  to  explain  the  fear  away. 

The  fear  tendency  is  never  cured  by  forcing  more  fear.  If 
the  child  is  unusually  sensitive  to  fear,  very  careful  treatment 
should  be  exercised  even  to  the  extent  of  humoring  the  small 


CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS  273 

victim.  Being  afraid  is  sometimes  a  matter  of  physical  con- 
dition which  needs  attention.  An  adult  when  recovering  from 
an  illness  or  when  in  a  state  of  nervous  depression  often  expe- 
riences fears  which  have  no  place  when  he  is  well  and  strong. 
A  dim  light  in  the  hall  so  that  the  bedroom  is  not  wholly  dark 
may  ease  the  child's  fear  of  the  dark  until  it  is  later  outgrown. 
It  is  well  not  to  make  too  much  of  the  child's  fear  in  his  presence, 
for  it  now  and  then  happens  that  a  child  takes  pride  in  his 
fears  and  cherishes  them  longer  than  he  would  otherwise. 

How  TO  Drive  Away  Fear 

There  are  positive  ways  in  which  fears  can  be  allayed.  If 
the  child  is  afraid  to  go  to  bed,  mother  speaks  of  the  lovely  story 
she  wants  to  tell.  The  child  becomes  interested  and  forgets 
his  fear.  Brother  was  more  inclined  to  be  afraid  in  the  dark 
than  sister.  Sister  wanted  her  newest  doll  to  take  to  bed  with 
her.  It  had  been  left  downstairs.  Would  brother  go  down 
and  get  it?  He  wouldn't  mind  going  through  the  hall  if  it 
was  a  bit  dark.  It  was  a  challenge  and  bravely  met  with  the 
argument,  "Why,  mother,  it's  just  the  same  hall  and  the  same 
stairway  if  Mr.  Sun  has  gone  away  to  China."  Mother  had 
helped  in  this  point  of  view  when  she  had  taken  a  globe  and 
shown  how  the  great  round  sun  cannot  shine  upon  all  people 
of  the  big  earth  at  the  same  time;  and  how  when  we  go  to  bed 
at  night  the  little  boys  and  girls  in  China  are  having  Mr.  Sun 
to  shine  upon  them  away  on  the  other  side  of  the  earth. 

Edith  was  by  nature  a  shy  timid  child.  She  seemed  frightened 
by  a  rain  storm.  Mother,  noting  the  fear,  asked  the  fearsome 
child  to  come  to  the  window.  As  they  stood  together  mother 
directed  her  attention  to  the  wonderful  fleeting  clouds  that 
were  scampering  across  the  sky  as  if  they  were  "in  a  hurry  to 
get  home."  They  picked  out  different  shapes  in  the  clouds, 
resembling  objects  familiar  to  the  child.  Gently  mother  talked 
to  Edith,  telling  her  how  God  sends  the  clouds  full  of  rain  to 


274  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

make  the  grass  and  the  flowers  grow.  Singing  Kttle  songs  about 
the  rain  helped  too.  Thus  was  the  child  led  to  overcome  a 
fear  which,  persisting,  might  have  caused  her  increasing  worry 
and  trouble. 

In  sharp  contrast  with  this  incident  is  the  story  related  of 
the  mother  who  was  in  the  habit  of  telling  her  small  son  that 
the  policeman  would  come  and  take  him  away  if  he  was  not 
good.  One  day  the  policeman  actually  called  at  the  front  door 
to  make  some  inquiry.  Mother  was  busy  and  asked  Lester 
to  go  to  the  door.  The  unexpected  sight  of  the  big  policeman 
coupled  with  the  thought  of  his  mother's  threat  gave  the  child 
such  a  shock  that  a  nervous  collapse  followed.  It  is  probable 
that  he  will  long  bear  the  marks  of  suffering  from  his  mother's 
very  thoughtless  cruelty. 

It  is  possible  to  show  the  timid  child  by  example  that  certain 
fears  are  groundless.  A  rather  fierce-looking  stuffed  Esquimo 
dog  stood  on  the  toy  counter  of  the  store  where  one  mother 
went  to  shop.  Small  William  enjoyed  the  trips  to  the  store 
except  that  there  was  always  this  monster  that  looked  at  him 
so  fiercely !  So  mother,  as  she  passed  the  counter,  quietly  patted 
and  spoke  to  the  stuffed  animal,  stroking  the  shaggy  coat. 
William,  thus  encouraged,  dared  to  make  the  experiment. 
Soon  he  was  freely  patting  and  talking  to  "Fido,"  all  fear  gone. 

Teaching  About  God  to  Allay  Fear 

Children  who  are  taught  that  God  watches  over  them  while 
they  sleep,  that  the  dark  is  just  like  the  day  to  God,  and  that 
God  will  protect  them  in  answer  to  their  prayer  to  him  have 
a  very  effective  cure  for  the  fears  of  darkness. 

If  parents  have  taught  that  God  is  a  kind  Father  who  loves 
us  and  gives  us  many  good  and  beautiful  things  to  make  us 
happy,  there  is  usually  no  fear  of  God  in  the  sense  of  being 
afraid  of  him.  But  if  wrong  ideas  of  God  have  crept  in,  the 
harm  should  be  overcome  by  carefully  and  gently  causing  the 


CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS  275 

child  to  feel  that  the  love  and  protection  which  the  heavenly 
Father  gives  him  is  like  mother's  and  father's,  only  more  safe 
and  wonderful. 

The  fear  of  death  is  rather  an  uncommon  one  with  the  little 
child  unless  there  has  been  the  association  of  an  experience 
which  is  responsible  for  it.  With  this  feeling,  as  with  other 
fears,  there  should  be  that  close  relationship  to  the  parent 
that  will  lead  the  child  to  tell  mother  or  father  all  about  it. 
The  Hereafter  should  be  pictured  as  a  beautiful  place;  the 
loved  one  has  gone  to  be  with  God.  Nothing  of  morbidness 
or  unpleasantness  should  be  told  to  the  child  that  will  in  any 
way  react  unfavorably  upon  him.  Children  should  usually 
not  be  taken  to  funerals. 

Shall  We  Have  a  Santa  Claus? 

Another  problem,  less  serious  than  that  of  fear  and  yet  a 
real  problem  to  many  mothers  is  this:  Shall  I  allow  my  child 
to  believe  in  Santa  Claus?  Is  it  wrong  to  allow  him  to  believe 
this  myth,  beautiful  though  it  is,  when  finally  he  must  come  to 
know  that  there  is  no  Santa  Claus?  Will  this  disillusionment 
not  shake  his  faith  in  other  things  he  is  taught — in  religious 
things,  things  about  God  and  Jesus?  And  will  he  not  possibly 
feel  a  twinge  of  just  resentment  when  he  finally  comes  to  know 
that  his  credulity  was  played  upon? 

There  can  be  no  question  that  for  most  children  Santa  Claus 
is  taken  very  literally  as  a  real,  tangible,  ponderable  personage. 
There  can  be  no  question,  either,  that  this  impression  must 
ultimately  give  way  and  the  child  come  to  see  that  Santa  Claus 
is  but  a  symbol  of  the  generous,  kindly,  glad-hearted  giver. 

Even  granting  all  this,  however,  there  is  no  harm  in  allowing 
the  child  his  Santa  Claus,  providing  the  matter  is  wisely  handled. 
Indeed,  excellent  use  may  be  made  of  the  Santa  Claus  symbol. 
For  lessons  are  best  brought  to  the  child  in  concrete  form; 
and  to  all  children  Santa  Claus  is  the  ideal  giver.     He  gives 


276  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

to  rich  and  poor;  he  gives  joyfully,  gladly,  to  all  whom  he  can 
reach;  he  gives  with  no  thought  of  receiving  in  return;  he  gives 
unselfishly  and  modestly,  not  allowing  himself  to  be  seen;  he 
gives  in  memory  of  the  Christ-child  and  in  honor  of  his  birth. 

Santa  Claus  may  thus  come  to  stand  as  the  symbol  of  a 
joyous,  loving  nature,  the  spirit  of  giving  to  others.  As  such 
he  will  appeal  to  children  with  their  happy  natures.  Through 
the  story  they  are  led  closer  to  the  thought  of  the  unselfish 
bringing  of  gladness  to  others,  and  to  the  thought  of  the  heav- 
enly Father's  giving  his  Son  for  us. 

When  the  child  grows  older  and  the  mythical  meaning  grad- 
ually begins  to  drop  away  he  ordinarily  first  discovers  that 
father  and  mother  are  his  Santa  Claus,  and  that  they  are  hiding 
their  loving  giving  behind  this  beautiful  symbol.  He  does 
not  look  upon  it  as  deception  on  their  part,  but  only  a  playful 
little  game  where  each  time  he  is  the  winner.  Gradually  along 
with  this  disillusionment  is  growing  the  idea  of  the  wider  mean- 
ing of  Santa  Claus,  the  spirit  of  giving,  the  greatest  of  all  gifts 
being  the  Christ  with  whose  happy  birth  time  Christmas  and 
Santa  Claus  are  associated  in  Christian  lands.  He  comes  to 
recognize  that  to  give  is  more  blessed  than  to  receive  and  he 
himself  desires  to  be  a  true  Santa  Claus  to  others. 

Answering  the  Child's  Questions  about  Life's  Origin 

One  of  the  most  important  and  insistent  of  the  child's  in- 
stincts is  the  one  that  makes  him  so  constantly  ask  "Why?" 
"How?"  "What  for?"  and  a  hundred  other  questions  in  endless 
succession.  This  is  the  instinct  of  curiosity,  the  driving  force 
back  of  much  of  the  child's  learning  and  progress. 

The  question  of  the  origin  of  life  comes  to  some  children  of 
three  or  four  years.  This  usually  occurs  in  connection  with  the 
coming  of  a  new  baby  into  the  home.  Sometimes  it  comes  in 
connection  with  the  advent  of  new  kittens  or  puppies  to  families 
of  his  pets.     Whenever  such  questions  arise  they  should  be 


CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS  277 

answered  truthfully,  though  the  fullness  and  nature  of  the 
answer  will  depend  on  the  age  of  the  child.  Young  children 
are  satisfied  with  simple  answers  of  a  general  nature  and  do 
not  require  specific  explanations. 

In  no  case,  however,  should  false  impressions  be  given,  such 
as  saying  that  the  stork  brought  the  baby,  or  that  the  doctor 
brought  it,  or  that  it  was  "bought  at  the  drug  store."  So  far 
as  the  question  is  answered  it  should  be  answered  with  the 
truth.  The  mother  tells  the  child  as  much  of  the  truth  as  he 
can  understand,  promising  that  when  he  is  older  she  will  tell 
him  more  about  it. 

Marjorie  was  given  to  asking  questions,  and  in  the  course 
of  her  five  years  had  learned  many  truths  about  God  and  nature, 
for  mother  always  did  her  best  to  answer  her  truthfully  and 
simply. 

"Did  God  send  me  to  you,  mother?"  Marjorie  asked. 

"Yes,  Marjorie." 

"How  did  God  send  me  to  you,  mother?" 

Then  mother  took  Marjorie  up  on  her  lap  and  told  her  some- 
thing of  God's  plan.  She  told  her  how  in  the  mother's  body 
there  is  a  place  where  the  baby  life  may  grow.  At  first  this 
new  life  is  very,  very  small.  But  day  by  day  it  grows,  just  as 
Marjorie  grows  bigger  day  by  day.  While  the  new  baby  life 
is  growing  mother  is  very  happy  because  the  baby  is  coming 
to  her,  and  she  sings  as  she  plans,  and  sometimes  she  busies 
herself  making  tiny  garments  for  the  little  baby.  Father  is 
happy  too  because  the  little  baby  is  coming  to  live  with  them; 
he  takes  good  care  of  mother  and  they  talk  to  each  other  about 
the  coming  of  the  baby.  When  the  time  is  ready  the  little  baby 
comes  from  the  mother's  body  and  the  mother  and  father  are 
more  happy  than  ever  and  thank  God  for  sending  them  their 
baby. 

Some  such  story  as  this  is  enough  for  the  younger  child. 
It  will  satisfy  his  curiosity  and  the  simple,  reverent  account 


278  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

coming  from  mother's  lips  will  impress  upon  the  child  some- 
thing of  the  beauty  and  sacredness  of  new  life  and  the  beauty 
and  sacredness  of  motherhood.  Such  simple,  frank  answers 
will  save  the  child  from  an  unhealthy  curiosity  which  seeks 
satisfaction  from  other  and  often  unsafe  sources,  and  will  open 
up  the  way  to  later  and  fuller  confidences. 

Information  for  the  Older  Child 

When  the  child  has  grown  several  years  older,  a  fuller  ex- 
planation of  the  origin  of  life  will  be  required.  Then  we  may  go 
to  nature  and  there  watch  life  beginning.  From  this  start  it 
is  not  hard  to  bridge  over  to  the  analogy  of  the  beginning  of 
a  human  life. 

The  common  navy  bean  is  a  good  illustration  of  a  lesson 
from  the  garden.  A  few  beans  are  dropped  in  a  glass  of  water 
and  left  for  twenty-four  or  thirty-six  hours.  By  that  time  the 
"baby  plant"  can  be  seen  if  one  of  the  beans  is  opened.  The 
rest  may  be  planted  in  the  ground.  Then  in  another  day  or 
two  the  baby  plant  has  pushed  itself  out  through  the  soil,  carry- 
ing the  two  halves  of  the  seed  out  on  the  top  of  its  head.  The 
explanation  is  made:  "You  see  that  seeds  are  made  up  of  a 
tiny  sleeping  baby  plant  packed  in  tight  with  food  to  make 
it  grow  when  it  wakes  up.  The  seed  may  be  called  the  mother 
to  the  baby  plant,  and  the  mother's  work  for  the  new  plant  is 
done  when  the  plant  is  born  and  has  grown  enough  so  that 
it  can  take  care  of  itself." 

The  kitchen  too  furnishes  its  lessons  in  using  the  egg.  Mother 
breaks  the  eggs  and  allows  eager  little  eyes  to  peep  into  the 
dish.  "What  is  the  clear  part?"  the  child  asks.  "That  is  the 
white  of  the  egg,  a  part  of  the  food,  and  the  yellow  ball  is  good 
for  food  too."  "What  is  that  little  'eye'  at  the  end?"  "That 
is  the  spot  where  life  begins  when  the  hen  sits  on  the  egg  and 
the  little  chicken  begins  to  form  in  it.  Perhaps  mother  says: 
"An  egg,  you  know,  is  one  kind  of  seed.     It  is  the  seed  from 


CHILDREN'S  PROBLEMS  279 

which  an  animal  may  grow."  "How  does  it  get  out  of  the  egg, 
mother?"  "When  the  chicken  has  grown  strong  enough  to 
live  by  itself  and  has  used  up  all  the  food  which  the  mother 
stored  for  it  in  the  egg  it  breaks  the  shell  and  is  born;  we  say 
it  is  hatched." 

All  these  facts,  if  given  in  a  simple,  scientific  way,  teach  the 
truths  the  child  demands  and  has  a  right  to  know,  and  present 
them  in  such  a  way  that  they  are  taken  pure  and  unperverted. 
As  he  approaches  adolescence  the  child  learns  still  further 
truths,  and  lessons  in  personal  purity  are  taught.  Through  it 
all  he  learns  that  God  gave  us  our  wonderful  bodies  and  that 
we  should  keep  them  clean  and  strong  and  well  as  a  gift  from 
him. 

Books  for  mothers: 

On  Instincts: 

Fundamentals  of  Child  Study,  E.  A.  Kirkpatrick.  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

The  Mind  and  Its  Education,  Chapter  XIII,  George  Her- 
bert Betts.     D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York. 

On  the  Story  of  Life: 

What  to   Say,   Harriet  Hickox  Heller.     American  Home 

Series.     The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 
The  Story  of  Life,  and  The  Renewal  of  Life,  Margaret 

Warner  Morley.    A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.,  Chicago. 
Blossom  Babies,  M.  Louise  Chadwick. 

On  Santa  Claus: 

Christmas  Tide,  Elizabeth  Harrison.  The  National  Kinder- 
garten and  Elementary  College,  Chicago. 

The  Story  of  St.  Nicholas  in  Sacred  and  Legendary  Art, 
Anna  Brownell  Jameson.  Houghton  Mifflin  Company, 
Boston. 


CHAPTER  XX 
KEEPING  CLOSE  TO  OUR  CHILDREN 

Froebel,  that  wonderful  interpreter  of  childhood,  said, 
''Come,  let  us  live  with  our  children."  Not  all  of  us  do  this. 
Some  of  us  are  too  busy  with  less  important  things;  some  of 
us  are  selfish  and  want  our  time  for  ourselves;  some  of  us 
simply  take  our  children  for  granted. 

What  does  it  mean  to  live  with  our  children?  It  means 
more  than  living  in  the  same  house  with  them  and  furnishing 
them  food  and  clothing.  It  means  first  of  all  that  we  must 
have  kept  much  of  the  freshness  and  unconventionality  of 
the  child's  mind;  we  must  not  be  forced  to  complain  with  Words- 
worth that  "There  hath  passed  away  a  glory  from  the  earth," 
as  we  have  grown  older. 

To  live  with  our  children  means  that  we  must  have  retained 
a  vivid  memory  of  our  own  childhood,  of  its  joys  and  its  sorrows 
and  its  problems,  so  that  we  can  enter  comprehendingly  into 
the  emotional  life  of  the  young.  It  means  that  we  must  love 
children's  stories  and  children's  games  and  children's  laughter 
and,  yes,  must  love  childhood  as  well  as  loving  our  own  child. 
It  means  that  we  shall  enjoy  our  children  and  not  take  them 
as  a  duty;  that  we  shall  take  the  trouble  to  understand  them, 
and  be  fair  and  just  to  them  as  we  desire  them  to  be  fair  and 
just  to  us.  It  means  that  we  shall  not  only  be  parents  but 
friends  to  them,  comrades  and  chums,  their  loved  companions 
and  sympathetic  helpers.  And  it  means  that  we  shall,  as  fully 
as  is  possible  with  God's  help,  be  as  nearly  as  we  can  what  we 
would  lead  them  to  become  in  all  that  makes  life  beautiful. 

Perhaps  we  need  now  and  then,  with  such  general  require- 

280 


KEEPING  CLOSE  TO  OUR  CHILDREN  281 

ments  as  these  in  mind,   to  test  ourselves  in  more  concrete 
detail. 

Putting  Ourself  in  the  Child's  Place 

Dr.  George  Herbert  Palmer  says  that  the  first  quality  of 
a  great  teacher  is  the  quality  of  "vicariousness" — the  power  to 
put  ourself  in  the  other  person's  place.  This  power  is,  if  possi- 
ble, even  more  necessary  for  the  parent  than  for  the  teacher. 
For  example,  we  may  break  the  bond  of  good  comradeship  with 
the  child  by  denying  needlessly.  The  child  comes  with  a  re- 
quest; our  mind  is  occupied  and  without  thought  we  say,  "O, 
you  don't  want  to  do  that,"  or  "Not  this  time,"  not  stopping 
to  get  the  viewpoint  of  the  small  petitioner.  One  mother  lost 
an  opportunity  of  a  sympathetic  understanding  with  her  small 
daughter  when  one  morning  the  mother  decided  to  put  on 
a  particular  blue  dress  which  was  always  a  favorite  with  her. 
Five-year-old  Alice,  seeing  her  mother  dressing  in  a  different 
gown  from  the  one  she  had  worn  the  day  before,  said,  "Oh 
mother!  may  I  wear  my  pretty  pink  one  with  the  flowers  in 
it?"  The  reply  came  quickly,  "No,  the  one  you  took  off  last 
night  is  all  right  for  to-day."  And  Alice  grieved  and  wondered 
and  was  silent.  And  mother  wondered  why  Alice  was  distant 
and  not  her  affectionate  self  all  that  morning. 

Allen  had  gone  to  the  store  alone  on  an  errand.  He  was 
eating  a  piece  of  candy  when  he  came  home.  Mother  asked 
him  where  he  got  it,  and  Allen  said  he  had  bought  it  with  a 
penny.  "Where  did  you  get  the  penny?"  inquired  mother. 
"I  just  took  it  with  me  from  my  bank,"  answered  Allen.  "Why 
did  you  not  ask  me  first?"  said  mother.  "O,  I  knew  you'd  say 
no,  like  you  always  do,"  was  the  guileless  but  revealing  answer 
of  the  culprit.  The  mother  had  not  quite  been  living  with 
her  boy. 

This  is  the  lesson  that  four-year-old  Arnold  unknowingly 
taught  his  mother.     Arnold  was  a  lone  "only"  child  and  had 


282  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

become  hungry  either  for  adventure  or  for  comradeship,  so  he 
had  run  away  to  a  neighbor's  house.  His  mother  brought 
him  home  and  said  to  him,  "Arnold,  which  shall  I  do  to  help 
my  little  boy  to  remember,  switch  him  or  put  him  in  the  closet?" 
Arnold  replied,  'T  wouldn't  do  neever;  I'd  go  wiv  him." 

It  is  possible  that  things  which  look  very  small  to  us  may 
loom  big  in  the  child's  desires  and  that  we  by  our  failure  to 
understand  may  strain  the  bonds  of  sympathy.  Small  Sara 
Louise  had  just  entered  the  kindergarten.  Up  to  this  time  her 
clothes  had  not  given  her  much  concern,  but  now  that  she 
was  taking  her  place  in  the  social  world,  she  would  like  to  be 
truly  one  of  her  set.  Sara  Louise's  mother  is  of  the  practical 
kind,  and  Sara  Louise's  hair  is  braided  in  two  tight  braids  so 
it  won't  "fly."  The  other  Httle  girls  have  their  hair  bobbed 
with  part  of  it  left  for  a  big  bow  on  top.  "Oh  mother!  won't 
you  make  my  dress  shorter  and  may  I  have  my  hair  bobbed 
like  the  other  girls — and  a  bow  on  top?"  pleaded  small  Sara 
Louise,  anxiously,  for  she  had  had  some  experience  with  making 
requests.  "No  indeed!"  answers  mother.  "I  don't  think  such 
styles  are  at  all  becoming  to  little  girls.  When  I  was  a  little 
girl — ."  Sara  Louise  goes  on  to  the  kindergarten,  but  she 
wonders  why  her  mother  isn't  like  the  mothers  of  the  other 
little  girls  so  that  she  can  have  her  dress  short  and  her  hair 
bobbed  with  a  bow.  Sara  Louise's  mother  lacked  something 
of  living  with  her  child. 

The  Heart  of  a  Child 

If  we  would  live  with  our  children  we  must  be  able  to  enter 
into  the  innermost  heart  of  their  feelings,  for  the  young  child's 
world  is  made  up  much  more  of  feelings  than  of  ideas,  and  to 
know  the  joys  and  the  sorrows,  the  interests  and  the  disappoint- 
ments of  childhood  is  to  know  much  of  its  world.  We  must  not 
judge  the  child's  feelings  by  our  own,  for  we  older  ones  are 
schooled  to  the  ways  of  fate;  we  have  seen  our  hopes  crumble 


KEEPING  CLOSE  TO  OUR  CHILDREN  283 

and  our  plans  come  to  naught.  To  us  the  small  griefs  and 
temporary  sorrows  of  childhood  are  likely  to  appeal  but  lightly, 
and  its  simple  joys  and  brief  ecstasies  appear  a  matter  of  small 
moment.  We  are  in  danger  of  forgetting  that  grief  is  grief  and 
joy  is  joy  in  each  small  life  as  well  as  our  own,  and  possibly 
much  more  vivid.  Nor  is  there  anything  that  will  separate 
us  more  quickly  from  our  children  at  any  stage  from  babyhood 
to  full  maturity  than  a  failure  to  understand  and  respect  their 
heart-life. 

Sometimes  we  fail  to  live  with  our  children  because  we  are 
careless  in  hurting  their  feelings  with  some  cutting  word,  thought- 
less thrust,  or  oversharp  rebuke.  It  sometimes  happens  that 
sarcasm  and  fault-finding  that  would  not  be  spoken  to  an 
equal  is  flung  at  helpless  childhood,  where  it  is  sure  to  leave 
its  blasting  mark  on  tender  sensibilities.  Ridicule  which  would 
not  be  used  with  one  able  to  retaliate  in  kind  is  directed  at  a 
small  culprit  and  left  to  rankle  in  his  soul  long  after  we  have 
forgotten  the  cruel  encounter. 

Respecting  the  Child's  Personality 

The  remedy  for  such  tragic  mistakes  as  these  is  to  respect 
the  sacredness  of  the  personality  even  of  a  child.  Children  are 
living  souls,  and  they  have  certain  inalienable  rights  as  persons 
which  not  even  parents  may  trample  upon.  Does  it  seem 
strange  to  speak  of  respecting  our  own  children?  Suppose  we 
stop  to  remember  that  though  we  gave  this  being  physical 
life,  the  immortal  spark  of  the  inner  life  was  not  ours  to  give. 
We  do  not  own  this  new  spiritual  being.  We  cannot  replace 
it  if  it  should  be  destroyed.  It  comes  from  God  and  to  him  it 
belongs.  This  child  before  us,  our  child  whom  daily  we  care 
for  and  nurture,  sums  up  in  its  spiritual  being  the  highest 
attributes  of  creation. 

Mothers,  it  is  all  worth  while.    Though  we  are  often  weary 


284  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

and  tried,  though  it  seems  now  and  then  that  our  care  and 
teaching  have  failed,  it  is  never  so.  If  we  have  truly  lived  with 
our  children,  if  we  have  played  and  prayed  with  them,  if  we 
have  laughed  and  sung,  if  we  have  shared  their  joys  and  griefs, 
if  we  have  reverently  taught  them  day  by  day  of  their  heavenly 
Father  and  his  Son,  if  we  have  faithfully  tried  to  shape  our 
own  lives  before  them  so  that  it  will  point  them  to  the  Way 
— then  make  sure  we  have  not  failed.  And  we  have  our  recom- 
pense; each  day,  as  our  child  grows  to  maturity,  will  be  "mother's 
day"  in  his  heart. 

Recompense 

"All  that  a  mother  can  give  of  life,  love  and  sacrifice 
from  her  I  have  taken.  Her  I  cannot  repay  except 
that  because  of  her  I  shall  live  a  life  in  full  consecra- 
tion to  Him  and  to  all  that  is  pure,  righteous  and 
just.  This  is  her  prayer  for  me,  her  thought  of  me — 
mine  to  live  up  to  her  ideals;  this  I  can  and  must  do." 

— H.  C.  B. 
The  following  lines  were  written  by   two   Soldier-Poets  of 
the  World  Warr^ 

She  is  full  of  love  and  grace, 

A  kind  of  flower  in  all  the  place. 

Even  the  trees  give  her  salutes, 

They  seem  to  know  who's  near  their  roots. 

She  is  something  quite  divine, 

And  joy,  Oh  joy,  this  mother's  mine. 

(Wyndham  Tennant.) 

Can  I  make  my  feeble  art 
Show  the  burning  of  my  heart? 
Every  day  and  every  hour 
I  have  battened  on  your  power 
While  you  taught  of  life  the  while; 


'  From  For  Remembrance,  A.  St.  John  Adcock.     George  H.  Doran  Com- 
pany, New  York.    Used  by  pennission. 


KEEPING  CLOSE  TO  OUR  CHILDREN  285 

You  my  best  beloved  and  nighest, 
You  who  ever  claimed  the  highest, 

Was  the  one  and  only  goal.   .  .  . 
When  the  sands  of  life  seem  gliding 
You  were  helping,  you  were  guiding — 

Claimed  for  me  the  glorious  role: 
You  my  loved  one  and  no  other, 
You  my  only  lovely  Mother,    . 

You  the  pilot  of  my  soul. 

(Colwyn  Philipps.) 

So  they  come  to  us,  these  children  of  ours,  out  of  the  great 
Unknown — the  creatures  of  our  dreams,  our  passion,  our  love. 
We  clasp  them  to  our  hearts,  we  assimilate  them  to  our  lives, 
we  guide  their  faltering  steps  as  best  we  may.  In  them  we 
find  at  last  the  true  end  of  our  being,  the  deepest  and  truest 
reality  of  life,  the  fulfillment  of  our  own  immortality.  They 
are  worth  the  price  we  pay  for  them,  worth  the  pain  and  suffer- 
ing, worth  the  anxious  care  and  solicitude,  worth  the  love 
expended,  worth  even  the  mourning  and  tears,  if  these  must 
be  paid!  Yes,  they  are  worth  even  more  than  all  this.  They 
are  worth  our  careful  thought  and  study,  worth  the  time  and 
effort  we  must  give  to  discover  what  science  has  to  tell  us  about 
them,  worth  the  sympathy  and  comradeship  required  to  under- 
stand them,  worth  any  sacrifice  we  must  pay  to  enter  fully 
and  completely  into  their  lives  as  friends,  counselors,  and  com- 
panions, as  fathers  and  mothers! 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  CHILDREN'S  BOOKS 

First  Picture  Books 

Picture  Books — Approximate  size  12  x  16,  with  one  object  to  the 
page.  Material,  Hnen  or  stiff  boards.  A  few  suggested 
of  animals  and  flowers. 

Friends  in  Fur  and  Feathers. 

Buds  and  Blossoms. 

The  Ideal  Picture  Book  of  Animals. 

The  Tale  of  Peter  Rabbit. 

Animal  Land  (stiff  boards).  - 

ABC 

Nursery  Land. 

To  be  found  in  Children's  Book  Shops  and  Book  Departments 

of  the  large  stores. 

Picture  and  Story  Books 

Title  Author  or  Illustrator  Publisher 

Mother  Goose,  Blanche  Fisher  Wright.     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co., 

Chicago. 
Mother   Goose,    Frederick   Richardson.     P.    F.    VoUand    &    Co., 

Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
Mother  Goose,  Jessie  Wilcox  Smith.     Dodd,  Mead  &  Company, 

New  York. 
Mother  Goose,  Kate  Greenaway.     Frederick  Wame  &  Co.,  New 

York. 
Mother    Goose,     Fanny    Cory.     The    Bobbs-Merrill    Company, 

Indianapolis. 
Stokes'  Wonder  Book  of  Mother  Goose,  Florence  Choate  and  Eliza- 
beth Curtis.     Frederick  A.  Stokes  &  Company,  New  York. 
Mother  Goose  Rhymes,  A.  M.  Turner.     Samuel  Gabriel  Sons  & 

Co.,  New  York. 
Chinese  Mother  Goose  Rhymes,  Isaac  T.  Headland.     P.  F.  Volland 

&  Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 

286 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  287 

Book  of  Nursery  Rhymes,  Walter  Jerrold.     E.  P.  Button  &  Co., 

New  York. 
Chicken  World,  E.  Boyd  Smith.     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York. 
Farm  Book,  E.  Boyd  Smith.     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York. 
Hi  Diddle  Diddle,  Caldecott.     Frederick  Wame  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Johnny  Crow's  Garden,  L.  Leshe  Brooke.     Frederick  Wame  & 

Co.,  New  York. 
Four  and  Twenty  Toilers,  E.  V.  Lucas.     McDevitt-Wilsons,  Inc., 

New  York. 
Cock  Mouse  and  Little  Red  Hen,  Le  Fevre.     George  W.  Jacobs 

&  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
The  Msop  for  Children,  Milo  Winter.     Rand,  McNally  &  Com- 
pany, Chicago. 
The  Peter  Patter  Book,   Leroy  F.  Jackson.     Rand,  McNally  & 

Company,  Chicago. 
The  Muffin  Shop,  Louise  Ayres  Garnet.     Rand,  McNally  &  Com- 
pany, Chicago. 
Peter  Rabbit,  Beatrix  Potter.      Frederick  Wame  &  Co.,   New 

York. 
Benjamin  Bunny,  Beatrix  Potter.     Frederick  Wame  &  Co.,  New 

York. 
Peter  Rabbit  at  the  Farm,  Duff  Graham.     Henry  Altemus  Co., 

Philadelphia. 
How  Peter  Rabbit  Went  to  Sea,  Duff  Graham.     Henry  Altemus 

Co.,  Philadelphia. 
The   Night   Before   Christmas,    Clement   C.    Moore.     Hodder   & 

Stoughton,  New  York. 
The  Golden  Goose  Book,  L.  Leslie  Brooke.     Frederick  Wame  & 

Co.,  New  York. 
The  Nursery  Rhyme  Book,  Lang.     Frederick  Wame  &  Co.,  New 

York. 
Sunny  Bunny,  Nina  Wilcox  Smith.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co.,  Chicago, 

New  York,  Toronto. 
The  Funny  Little  Book,  Johnny  Gruelle.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co., 

Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
The  Little  Brown  Bear,  Johnny  Gruelle.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co., 

Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto, 


288  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

The  Golden  Blackbird  Story  Book,  Frederick  Richardson.     John 

C.  Winston  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
The  Gingerbread  Man,  Leonard  Fable  and  Willy  Pogany.     Mc- 

Bride,  Nast  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Child  Story  and  Rhymes,  Emilie  Poulsson  and  L.  J.  Bridgman. 

Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston. 
Red  Riding  Hood  Rhymes,   Edith  L.   Elias  and  Willy  Pogany. 

Le  Roy  Phillips,  Boston. 
Little  Black  Sambo,  Helen  Bannerman.     Frederick  A.  Stokes  & 

Co.,  New  York. 
Billy  Goats  Gruff,  L.  Leslie  Brooke.     Frederick  Wame  Co.,  Ltd., 

New  York. 
The  Three  Bears,  L.  Leslie  Brooke.     Frederick  Wame  Co.,  Ltd., 

New  York. 
The  Three  Little  Pigs,  L.  Leslie  Brooke.     Frederick  Wame  Co., 

Ltd.,  New  York. 
Child's  Garden  of  Verses,  Stevenson.     Illustrated  by  Squires  and 

Mars.     Rand,  McNally  &  Company,  Chicago. 
Child's  Garden  of  Verses,  Stevenson.    Illustrated  by  Jessie  Wilcox 

Smith.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 
The  Long  Ago  Stories,  Ahce  Ross  Culver.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co., 

Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
The  Wild  Flower  Children,  Ehzabeth  Gordon.     P.  F.  Volland  & 

Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
The  Bam  Bam  Clock,  J.  P.  McEvoy.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co.,  Chi- 
cago, New  York,  Toronto. 
Flying  Days.     Frederick  Wame  Co.,  Ltd.,  New  York. 
Mother  Earth,  Elizabeth  Gordon.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co.,  Chicago, 

New  York,  Toronto. 
Friendly  Fairies,  Johnny  Gruelle.     P.  F.  Volland  &  Co.,  Chicago, 

New  York,  Toronto. 
Peeps  Sunshine  Fairy,   McCormack,   Dodge.     P.  F.  Volland  & 

Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
The  Coops,  Gelett  Burges.     Frederick  A.  Stokes  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Rhymes  for  Kindly  Children,  Fairmont  Snyder.     P.  F.  Volland 

&  Co.,  Chicago,  New  York,  Toronto. 
Nonsense  Books,  Lear.     Little,  Brown  &  Company,  Boston. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  289 

Pinafore  Palace,  Wiggin  and  Smith.     Doubleday,  Page  &  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Books  for  Little  Folks 

Title  Author  or  Illustrator  Publisher 

Bow  WOW  and  Mew  mew,  Crailc.     The  Bobbs-Mcrrill  Company, 

Indianapolis. 
What  Happened  Then,  Ruth  O.  Dyer.     Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard 

Co.,  Boston. 
A  Story  Garden  For  Little  Children,   Maud  Lindsay.     Lothrop, 

Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston. 
Stories  to  Tell  the  Littlest  Ones,  Sara  Cone  Bryant.     Houghton 

Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 
Stories  For  Sunday  Telling,  Carolyn  Sherwin  Bailey.     The  Pil- 
grim Press,  Boston. 
The  Book  of  Baby  Birds,  Florence  E.  Dugdale.     Hodder  &  Stough- 

ton.  New  York. 
The  Mary  Francis  Cook  Book,  Jane  Eyre  Fryer.     John  C.  Winston 

Co.,  Philadelphia. 
The  Dutch  Twins,  Lucy  Fitch  Perkins.     Houghton  Mifflin  Com- 
pany, Boston. 
Mother  Stories   (some  too  old  for  6   year  old),   Maud   Lindsay. 

Milton  Bradley  Company,  Springfield. 
More  Mother  Stories  (some  too  old  for  6  year  old),  Maud  Lindsay. 

Milton  Bradley  Company,  Springfield. 
Told  by  the  Sandman,  Abbie  Phillips  Walker.     Harper  &  Brothers, 

New  York. 
Indian   Child  Life,   Deming.      Frederick   A.    Stokes   Co.,    New 

York. 
The  Children's  First  Book  of  Poetry,  Baker.     American  Book  Co., 

Chicago. 
The  Children  in  Japan,   Grace   Bartruse,   Willy   Pogany.     Mc- 

Bride,  Nast  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Little  People,  Aiken.     Illustrated  by  Willebeek  Le  Mair.     David 

McKay,  Philadelphia. 


290  THE  MOTHER-TEACHER  OF  RELIGION 

Among  the  Primers 
Title  Author  or  Illustrator  Publisher 

Primer  and  First  Reader,  Free  and  Treadwell.     Row,  Peterson 

&  Co.,  Chicago. 
The  Kewpie  Primer,  Rose  O'Neil.     Frederick  A.  Stokes  &  Co., 

New  York. 
The  Robin  Reader,  Minnie  T.  Vamey.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons, 

New  York. 
Child's  Classic  Primer.   The  Bobbs-Merrill  Company,  IndianapoHs. 
The  Brownie  Primer,  Banta.     The  Century  Co.,  New  York. 
Cherry  Tree  Children.     Little,  Brown  &  Company,  Boston. 
"Parental  Love''  in  Character  Building  Series,  Ellen  E.  Kenyon- 

Wamer.     Hinds,  Noble  &  Eldredge,  New  York,  Philadelphia. 


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